General Liability

Steve is a Partner practicing from Melick & Porter’s office in Southbury, Connecticut. Steve began his career and honed his legal skills at a successful boutique firm in Danbury. Steve currently handles all aspects of civil litigation, from pre-litigation counseling, analysis and strategy to pleadings and discovery, to dispositive motion practice, trial advocacy and pre-trial/post-trial proceedings. He focuses his practice on premises liability, general liability, property disputes/land use, workers’ compensation, and product liability. He has extensive litigation and courtroom experience defending claims in Connecticut and New York.

Stephanie Bendeck is a skilled and experienced trial attorney. She has tried over fifty cases, both jury and non-jury, and argued complicated motions involving complex legal issues to the court. She is experienced in preparing, defending, and cross-examining both lay and expert witnesses.

Mark is an experienced trial attorney with a focus on employment law and professional liability. Mark also has extensive experience handling product liability, construction, premises liability, unfair business practices, and general litigation matters. He represents clients in both federal and state courts.

Hannah is an Associate in Melick & Porter’s Boston and Duxbury offices. Hannah worked at M&P full time as paralegal for 2 years while attending New England Law. She was a member of the Mock Trial team and the Justice Sandra Day O’Connor Honors Program.

George is an Associate in Melick & Porter’s Boston office.

Ryan Coyne is an Associate in the firm’s Providence location.

Prior to joining Melick & Porter, Ryan served as a law clerk for the Rhode Island Supreme Court Law Clerk Department, where he was a clerk for the Honorable Justice Brian P. Stern on the business calendar in Providence County Superior Court.

Brian is a partner in Melick & Porter's Boston office. He focuses his practice on defending individual and corporate clients in complex civil litigation matters including general liability, hospitality and restaurant litigation, entertainment and sports litigation, construction litigation, and transportation litigation. He is admitted to the state and federal court of Massachusetts.

Prior to joining Melick & Porter, Shannon spent two years working as a Law Clerk to the Justices of the Massachusetts Superior Court. Shannon’s experience includes counseling and defending clients in all facets of recreational, products, construction, and general liability litigation in both federal and state courts. 

Tom is an Associate in Melick & Porter’s Boston office.  He joined the Firm in 2016 as a litigation paralegal, gaining experience in a wide range of complex liability matters while pursuing his JD from New England Law | Boston.  Tom will be focusing his practice on defending individual and corporate clients in general liability, professional liability, and sexual abuse litigation. 

Lauren is a Partner in the firm’s Boston office. Her practices focus on defending employment practices liability matters involving a variety of issues, including harassment, discrimination, and retaliation. She also handles professional liability, general liability, and insurance coverage matters. Lauren represents clients in both state and federal courts as well as before state and federal agencies.

Doug provides counseling and trial advocacy for the sports and entertainment industry and counts among his clients some of the premier sports and entertainment franchises in Massachusetts. He has extensive experience defending claims arising out of activities at NFL and MLB events, concerts, triathlons, marathons, hockey rinks, dance clubs, and commercial trucking.

Gabriella is an Associate in the firm's Providence location.

Gabriella graduated magna cum laude from Roger Williams University School of Law in 2022. While in law school, Gabriella served as a research assistant for Professor Elizabeth Colt's legal practice class and was selected as one of eight participants for the ABA's Business Diversity Clerkship Program where she gained valuable legal experience as a judicial intern to the Honorable Richard A. Licht on the Out-County Business Calendar.

Chris joined the firm in 2010 and concentrates his practice on the defense of complex liability matters in the areas of construction, dram shop, premises, automobile, and catastrophic tort. Prior to joining Melick & Porter, Chris worked at a civil litigation defense firm outside of Boston where he specialized in construction and automobile matters.

Emma is an Associate in Melick & Porter's Boston office. Her practice focuses primarily on defending individuals and corporate clients in matters involving general liability and product liability. Emma earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Exercise Physiology at the University of Miami in 2020. She then pursued her JD from New England Law | Boston where she was in the Justice Sandra Day O'Connor Honors Program.

Bob rejoined the firm in 2021 after several years at firms similarly specializing in complex civil litigation. He has extensive experience handling general liability, construction, liquor liability, premises liability, products liability, transportation, and toxic torts.

Rick Heifetz is entering his fortieth year of practicing law. He is a 1972 graduate of the University of New Hampshire (B.A., cum laude) and a 1978 graduate of the New England School of Law (J.D., cum laude). He began his legal career as an associate in the firm of Darling & McLaughlin in Burlington and was a founding partner in the Boston firm of Roche, Heifetz, Murphy & Wholley.

Christian has extensive experience in complex litigation matters, including bench and jury trials, arbitrations, administrative proceedings, and mediations. His corporate counseling includes risk assessment and contract review. He is admitted to the state and federal courts of Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. Christian's practice has earned him selections as a “Massachusetts Super Lawyer.”

Bill is a seasoned trial attorney with extensive trial experience and successful verdicts defending clients in construction, complex product liability, premises liability, dram shop, transportation and sports and recreation matters. He represents product manufacturers, contractors, shopping malls, restaurants, major real estate developers, property owners, condominium associations, resorts and ski areas.

Jack is an Associate practicing in our Connecticut office. After receiving a B.A. in Public Policy and Law from Trinity College, Jack attended the University of Connecticut School of Law. During law school, Jack was recognized for his strong oral advocacy skills. He applied these skills working with the UConn Tax Clinic representing low-income taxpayers with problems before the Internal Revenue Service and the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services.

Nick is an Associate in Melick & Porter's Boston office. His practice focuses on employment law, general liability, professional liability, and premises liability.

Maz has been at Melick & Porter his entire legal career. He began as a Law Clerk in the summer of 1988 and joined the firm as an Associate in the fall of 1989. Maz has extensive experience in complex civil litigation matters, representing clients in both federal and state courts for over 30 years. A significant portion of his practice involves employment law and includes providing major national corporations with oversight and defense of their employment litigation.

Carolyn is a partner at Melick & Porter's Boston office. Carolyn joined the firm in 2014, after having worked at another Boston insurance defense firm for over five years. Carolyn has extensive experience in defending individual and corporate clients in a wide variety of complex multi-party construction-related matters, including personal injury, wrongful death and breach of contract claims in the state and federal courts of Massachusetts.

Tyler Mills is an Associate at the Melick & Porter Boston and Hamilton offices, specializing in civil litigation disputes with a primary focus on General Liability, Construction Litigation, and Insurance Coverage.

Marissa is an Associate in Melick & Porter's Boston Office. Her practice focuses primarily on defense of civil matters involving general liability, premises liability, construction law, recreational liability, and transportation law.

Ellie is an Associate in Melick & Porter’s Boston office. She earned her Juris Doctor from the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law in 2024 where she was a member of the Daniel Webster Scholar Honors Program.

Bob joined the firm in 1984 after graduating from law school and has made it his professional home. In the years since, he has tried numerous jury cases in both federal and state courts involving a variety of civil matters, including professional malpractice, insurance coverage, and general liability claims. Bob oversees our firm's appellate practice and has successfully argued cases before the First Circuit Court of Appeals.

Sabrina is an Associate in Melick & Porter’s Southbury office. She earned her Juris Doctor from Golden Gate University School of Law (2022). While in law school, Sabrina served as the editor for the Tax Journal and as President of the Society of Litigators and Veteran Law Association. Sabrina also clerked at the Milford Superior Court in criminal, family, and civil cases. She most recently gained civil litigation experience with a prominent firm in Bridgeport. She is currently pursuing her LLM in corporate taxation.

Peter is a partner in Melick & Porter’s Boston office with nearly twenty years of legal experience. He is a graduate of Boston University, and Suffolk University Law School. Peter started his legal practice at Hale & Dorr, before joining a smaller insurance defense practice. Over the last several years he has devoted himself to working with insurance companies and their insureds in the defense of a variety of liability claims, including insurance coverage and bad faith litigation.

Mary Cate is an Associate in Melick & Porter's Boston office. Her practice focuses on defense of civil matters including general liability, and construction law. Mary Cate graduated from Roger Williams University, cum laude, in 2013 with Bachelor of Arts Degrees in Dance and Performance Studies and Communications with a focus on Public Relations. After college she worked at Tufts Medical Center in Boston for over nine years in various patient related and non-patient related roles.

Kurt is a Partner in the firm's Rhode Island office.  His practice encompasses premises liability, personal injury defense, and insurance law. He is admitted in three jurisdictions: Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, as well as the United States District Courts for the District of Rhode Island and Connecticut.

Holly Rogers has earned a reputation as a zealous and effective advocate. She practices from our Connecticut Office, which she also manages. Holly has extensive experience in complex litigation matters. She devotes the majority of her practice to representation of clients in employment and professional liability matters. Holly represents clients in both federal and state courts in Connecticut and New York, as well as before federal and state agencies. Holly has arbitrated and mediated numerous claims before the American Arbitration Association and other dispute resolution entities. She has authored articles on a variety of legal topics and has spoken on topics of interest before client groups and legal peers.

Bill Rose is a graduate of University of Massachusetts and a cum laude graduate of Suffolk University School of Law. He also obtained his C.P.C.U. designation. Bill previously practiced at Morrison, Mahoney & Miller; Gillespie & Associates; the Law Offices of Peter Eleey; and Tucker, Heifetz & Saltzman, LLP. He handles cases in all areas of the firm’s practice.

Syd is a cum laude graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth and a cum laude graduate of Suffolk University Law School. During law school, he was the recipient of the Goodwin Scholarship for Best Trial Advocacy. Syd previously practiced at Regan & Kiely LLP and Tucker, Heifetz & Saltzman in Boston.

Lauren is an associate in the firm’s Boston office. Lauren’s practice focuses primarily on the defense of complex general liability, premises liability, liquor liability, sexual abuse litigation, personal injury, construction, and employment law matters.

Steve is a Partner in the firm’s Hamilton and Boston offices. He is an experienced trial attorney in the areas of workers compensation, premises liability, motor vehicle, construction litigation, and product liability. Steve has jury and bench trial experience in Massachusetts’ District, Superior, and Administrative Courts. He also has extensive experience arbitrating and mediating claims through private dispute resolution entities as well as at the Massachusetts Department of Industrial Accidents.

Rob concentrates his practice on premises liability, professional liability, explosion, construction injury and worker’s compensation matters. Rob’s most notable defense verdicts in civil jury trials include: a negligent product distribution claim by a waitress whose face was burned by flaming brandy flambé spilled on her by a chef performing a “Strawberry Flambe” on stage.