Our History
Just out of Yale Law School and practicing in a Concord law firm, Joe Millimet first met Maurice Devine when they represented opposing sides in an automobile accident case. They immediately liked and respected each other’s professional style. This respect has been a cornerstone value of the firm since its founding in 1947, when Joe Millimet and Maurice Devine became partners.
The early work of the firm centered on insurance defense work as well as representation of small, Manchester-based businesses. These small clients eventually grew to be significant firm clients and New Hampshire entities, portending the growth of business in the state. For example, Paul Harvey, first working out of a one-room office in Manchester, built Harvey Construction Company, one of the largest construction companies in the state. Institutional clients have also grown with the firm. We started representing the University System of New Hampshire in 1950 and continue to do so to this day. Currently, Devine Millimet is a full-service firm, with more than 50 service areas, providing counsel and business advice to clients across New England.
By 1975, the firm, now named Devine, Millimet, Stahl & Branch Professional Association, had grown to 21 attorneys. In 1986, the firm purchased and renovated the federal Post Office building, which is its home to this day. The building, in the center of Manchester and constructed of granite, symbolizes the firm’s strong commitment to the progress of New Hampshire and the firm’s solid place within the legal and business community of New England.
In the spring of 2015, in addition to our offices in Manchester and Concord, we opened a Portsmouth office on Penhallow Street in historic downtown Portsmouth. In keeping with our tradition of inhabiting historic government buildings, our Portsmouth office is located in the city's former police department building.
On July 1, 2015, the firm announced that it combined with the highly regarded trial law firm of Nelson Kinder + Mosseau, bringing the law firm back to its early roots in litigation. The combination created the largest litigation department of any New Hampshire-based law firm.