Attorneys Wendy Harlan, Dan Mitchell and Joan Fortin Named Shareholders at Bernstein, Shur, Sawyer & Nelson

Attorneys Wendy Harlan, Dan Mitchell and Joan Fortin have been named shareholders at the law firm of Bernstein, Shur, Sawyer & Nelson, one of northern New England's largest firms.

Wendy J. Harlan is a member of the firm's Commercial Department and concentrates her practice in corporate and health care law, advising clients on forming and maintaining corporate and non-corporate entities, contracting issues, mergers and acquisitions and commercial transactions. Her work in the health care field includes counseling practitioners and providers on contract, fraud and abuse and corporate issues; advising clients on the formation of retirement communities; and compliance planning. Harlan also speaks frequently on issues involving closely held entities.

A resident of Freeport, Harlan received her J.D. cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1996, where she was an executive editor of the Harvard Women's Law Journal. She is a 1990 magna cum laude graduate of Wellesley College, and a member of the American Bar Association, the American Health Lawyers Association and the Maine State Bar Association. She is a member of the Board of VNA Home Health Care and is a past President of the Western Maine Wellesley Club.

Daniel J. Mitchell, a member of the firm's Litigation Department, practices in the areas of commercial litigation, construction litigation, real estate litigation, securities brokerage litigation, copyright litigation, municipal litigation, professional negligence, personal injury and medical malpractice. He is a 1996 magna cum laude graduate of the University of Maine School of Law in Portland and received his undergraduate degree in 1989 from University of Rhode Island in Kingston. He is a former law clerk to the Hon. David G. Roberts of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. Before law school, Mitchell served on the staff of U.S. Senator John H. Chafee (R-RI).

A resident of Portland, Mitchell is a member of the Maine Trial Lawyers Association and the Maine State, New Hampshire and American Bar Associations. Mitchell recently served on the City of Portland's Waterfront Economic Advisory Committee, and he is an active Junior Achievement volunteer as well as an active member of Saint Peter's Catholic Church in Portland. Mitchell also is a Class Agent for the University of Maine School of Law.

Joan M. Fortin, a member of the Municipal Department at the firm, practices in all areas of municipal and education law. She represents towns, businesses, schools and individuals before municipal and administrative boards, and state and federal courts on a wide variety of matters such as drafting municipal tax increment financing programs, assisting towns in writing or revising their town charter, and assisting towns in complicated tax appeals.

A former law clerk to the Hon. Paul L. Rudman, Fortin is a 1996 graduate of the Northeastern University School of Law in Boston. She received her undergraduate degree in 1988 from Colby College in Waterville and earned a master's degree in education from the University of Maine in 1991. Fortin is a resident of Portland and is originally from Benton, Maine. She is a member of the bar in Maine, Massachusetts, and Alaska, and is a member of the Maine State and American Bar Associations.

Bernstein, Shur, Sawyer & Nelson is one of northern New England's largest law firms with more than 70 attorneys in offices in Portland and Augusta, Maine and Manchester, N.H. The firm provides legal services in all major subject areas, including corporate and commercial law, litigation and trials, municipal and governmental affairs, education law, construction law, employment law and tax and estate planning. Bernstein, Shur also has an active practice in bankruptcy, health law, environmental law, technology and commerce, legislative law, intellectual property, public utilities and other regulated industries. For more information, visit the Bernstein, Shur web site at www.bssn.com

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