Bernstein Shur Adds Seven New Attorneys as Part of Ongoing Expansion at Regional Law Firm

Brita Forssberg, Steven Gerlach, Shoshana Cook Mueller, Kevan Lee Rinehart, Joshua Silver, Hawley Strait and Matthew Tarasevich added

PORTLAND, Maine – Bernstein Shur, already one of northern New England’s largest multi-service law firms, has added seven new attorneys – Brita J. Forssberg, Steven R. Gerlach, Shoshana Cook Mueller, Kevan Lee Rinehart, Joshua T. Silver, Hawley R. Strait, and Matthew Tarasevich.

The firm now has close to 90 attorneys providing practical legal counsel to a diverse group of public and private clients from offices in Portland and Augusta, Maine, and Manchester, New Hampshire.

“This expansion is necessary to meet the continued demand for the range of legal services that we offer,” said Charles E. Miller, Bernstein Shur’s Managing Shareholder. “We have an outstanding group of new attorneys whom we are confident will continue what is now a 91-year tradition of providing practical counsel to our clients.”

Here is a closer look at the new Bernstein Shur attorneys:

Brita J. Forssberg of Falmouth is a member of the Litigation Practice Group, where she will focus on asbestos defense litigation. She has significant litigation experience in products liability, insurance coverage cases, and toxic tort cases.
Forssberg served as a judicial intern for New York Supreme Court Justice Martin Schoenfeld. Before attending law school she was a legislative assistant for U.S. Congressman Joseph J. DioGuardi (R-NY, 1985-89).

Forssberg received her JD in 1991 from Fordham University School of Law, where she served as editor of the Fordham Environmental Law Journal, and a bachelor’s degree in 1986 from Skidmore College.

Steven R. Gerlach of Freeport is a member of the Tax and Estate Planning Practice Group and will focus on corporate taxation and employee benefits.
Gerlach has served as an intern in the appellate division of Maine Revenue Services and the State of Maine Office of the Attorney General, and as an extern for the Workers' Compensation Advocacy Division. Before law school, he worked in clinical research for Maine Medical Center. Gerlach serves as Vice President of Renaissance Voices and on the board of AddVerb Productions.

Gerlach received a JD as a cum laude graduate of the University of Maine School of Law, and a bachelor’s in psychology in 1983 from the University of Rochester. He is presently pursuing an LLM in Taxation at Boston University.

Shoshana Cook Mueller of North Yarmouth is a member of the firm’s Municipal Law Practice Group. She will focus her practice on general municipal law and public finance.
Prior to joining Bernstein Shur, Mueller worked as a public policy researcher and as an analyst at an economics and management consulting firm in Boston.

Mueller received her JD from the University of Connecticut School of Law and also holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from the University of Connecticut Department of Public Policy. She received a bachelor’s in sociology in 1999 from Brown University, graduating with honors.

Kevan Lee Rinehart of Portland is a member of the firm’s Business Law Practice Group. Her practice focuses on corporate formations, mergers and acquisitions, and securities law. She is also experienced in bankruptcy, intellectual property, and commercial real estate. Rinehart was employed by Perkins Olson in Portland prior to joining Bernstein Shur.
Rinehart served as a law clerk for United States Bankruptcy Judge Louis H. Kornreich. Before law school, she worked in constituent services in the offices of Governor Angus King. She is a member of the Women’s Law Section of the Maine State Bar Association and serves as President of Dress for Success Southern Maine. In addition, Rinehart is a member of the Portland Mentoring Alliance, Something’s Cooking, and the Portland Chamber of Commerce.

Rinehart is a 2001 cum laude graduate of the University of Maine School of Law, where she was the recipient of the Wernick Prize for Legal Writing. She received her undergraduate degree in English and psychology from Bowdoin College in 1995.

Joshua T. Silver of Cumberland is a member of the Technology and Business Law Practice Groups, where he will focus on trademark and copyright law, intellectual property, and technology law.
Silver served as a law clerk for Hon. John A. Woodcock, U.S. District Court for the District of Maine, and during law school was an extern for the Maine Patent Program. Before attending law school, he served as a law clerk for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Maine.

Silver is a 2005 magna cum laude graduate of the University of Maine School of Law. He received his undergraduate degree in environmental studies in 1999 from Middlebury College.

Hawley R. Strait of Portland is a member of the Real Estate and Business Law practice groups, focusing on real estate transactions.
During law school, Hawley was an intern for Hon. Nina Gershon, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Before attending law school, he worked for Sloane & Company in New York City and previously taught English as a second language in Santiago, Chile. Hawley is fluent in Spanish and has traveled extensively throughout Europe and Latin America.

Hawley received his law degree in 2006 from Pace University School of Law, where he graduated cum laude and served as managing editor of the Pace Law Review. He is a 2000 cum laude graduate of Bates College.

Matthew Tarasevich of Portland is a shareholder in Bernstein Shur’s Municipal, Labor and Employment, and Litigation Practice Groups. He provides counsel to the firm's public and private clients on municipal matters. His practice focuses on public sector labor and personnel issues, as well as all areas of public sector litigation. Tarasevich also serves as an outside investigator for municipalities and governmental entities, and as a mediator for municipal and employment-related issues.
Prior to joining Bernstein Shur, Tarasevich was employed by Moon, Moss & Shapiro in Portland. He also worked at a Massachusetts law firm.

Tarasevich serves as Chair of the Maine State Bar Association's Municipal Law Section and was the former Treasurer of the Association's Government and Public Sector Law Section. He was co-editor of the Maine Employment Law Letter. Tarasevich also writes and conducts training on a wide variety of employment-related issues for both public and private employers. He is licensed to practice in Maine and Massachusetts state and federal courts.

Tarasevich received his law degree from Northeastern University School of Law in 1994 and a BS in Finance from the University of Rhode Island in 1982. Prior to attending law school, he was a commercial fisherman and owned two commercial draggers.

Bernstein Shur is one of northern New England’s largest multi-service law firms, with close to 90 attorneys in Portland and Augusta, Maine and Manchester, New Hampshire. Established in 1915, the firm provides practical legal counsel to a diverse group of public and private clients throughout the region and around the world. Bernstein Shur’s commercial, litigation, and municipal practices are complemented by the services of the firm’s affiliates, which include Bernstein Shur Government Solutions LLC, a government consulting firm; Stratex LLC, an environmental and engineering consultancy; and Monument Title Company. For more information, visit bernsteinshur.com.

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