Barnstable, MA

Brooks S. Thayer

Brooks was born in New York City, but has lived in Orleans all his life. He graduated as a government major from Dartmouth College, where he was active in student government. He was admitted to a select combined degree program at Vanderbilt University, earning both a law degree and a Masters in Business Administration. While at Vanderbilt Law School, he received the American Jurisprudence Award for Academic Excellence in the area of Wills and Trusts. After graduation from law school, Brooks practiced at the Boston law firm of Goldstein & Manello, P.C. In 1993, Brooks joined La Tanzi, Spaulding & Landreth, where he became a partner in 1997 and the Managing Partner in 2006. Brooks is a credentialed Certified Elder Law Attorney (C.E.L.A.) through the National Elder Law Foundation, and has served as President of the Estate Planning Council of Cape Cod and as a Board Member of the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. He is also active in the community, serving on boards of numerous local charitable organizations and as a call member of the Orleans Rescue Squad and Fire Department. Brooks concentrates his practice in the areas of estate planning, estate settlement/probate and elder law, and is a frequent speaker on estate planning, planned giving, Medicaid and nursing home issues. Brooks has been recognized, since 2004, as a preeminent Trusts and Estate Lawyer in Boston Magazine’s annual “Super Lawyer” Edition.

Duane P. Landreth

Duane was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. He graduated from Dartmouth College with distinction in his major, Economics. After serving in the United States Navy as a department head on a destroyer, Duane studied at Boston University School of Law, where he was a member of the Law Review. Upon graduation, Duane published an article in the Urban Law Journal about a study he undertook on the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974. Early in his career, Duane practiced as an associate with Thompson, Hine and Flory in Cleveland. In 1976, Duane joined Tom La Tanzi and Larry Spaulding, where he was named a partner in 1981. For 20 years, he maintained a general litigation practice, representing clients in diverse types of cases ranging from plaintiff’s personal injury, to divorce, to criminal to eminent domain and Land Court title, and general commercial disputes. Since 1995, Duane has concentrated his practice on municipal and non-municipal land use law, including local permitting, zoning and state and local environmental regulations. He also represents several corporate clients in a variety of business matters, including contract review and negotiation and employment matters. Duane is active in local government, having served as chairman of the Orleans Charter Commission (1985-86) and as Town Moderator, presiding at Orleans Town Meetings since first elected in 1993. He also served for many years as Counsel for the towns of Provincetown and Brewster.

Robert C. Lawless

Robert C. Lawless is from a family of lawyers, including his father who was a Wall Street lawyer, judge, and dean of a prestigious law school. He graduated from Boston College with a B.A. in 1979 and a Juris Doctorate from Boston College Law School in 1982. Admitted to the Massachusetts Bar in 1982 and the New York bar shortly after, he served as an Assistant District Attorney in New York City from 1982 to 1985, prosecuting numerous misdemeanor and felony cases and conducting many jury trials. In 1985, he joined a law firm in Falmouth, Massachusetts, which became Farrell, Duffy & Lawless. He founded Lawless and Lawless, P.C., in 1991, with offices in Barnstable. From 1991 to 1995, he was a Massachusetts State Representative, serving on the Judiciary Committee and as Vice Chairman of the Committee for Criminal Justice. His experience as a prosecutor, litigator, and legislator provides him with extensive knowledge in personal injury, divorce, custody, probate litigation, and other courtroom matters. He is passionate about the law and committed to applying his unique experience to his clients' cases.

Robert C. Lawless

Robert C. Lawless is from a family of lawyers, including his father who was a Wall Street lawyer, judge, and dean of a prestigious law school. He graduated from Boston College with a B.A. in 1979 and a Juris Doctorate from Boston College Law School in 1982. Admitted to the Massachusetts Bar in 1982 and the New York bar shortly after, he served as an Assistant District Attorney in New York City from 1982 to 1985, prosecuting numerous misdemeanor and felony cases and conducting many jury trials. In 1985, he joined a law firm in Falmouth, Massachusetts, which became Farrell, Duffy & Lawless. He founded Lawless and Lawless, P.C., in 1991, with offices in Barnstable. From 1991 to 1995, he was a Massachusetts State Representative, serving on the Judiciary Committee and as Vice Chairman of the Committee for Criminal Justice. His experience as a prosecutor, litigator, and legislator provides him with extensive knowledge in personal injury, divorce, custody, probate litigation, and other courtroom matters. He is passionate about the law and committed to applying his unique experience to his clients' cases.

John C. Dorn

John C. Dorn is licensed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as both a physician and an attorney. His law practice is focused upon helping clients injured as the result of another’s negligence. This often includes car accidents, medical error, slip and fall injuries, dog bites and wrongful death. John grew up in Needham Massachusetts and graduated from Boston College in 1983. After receiving his Doctor of Chiropractic degree in 1989 he practiced as a chiropractic physician, in private and hospital based settings, for 18 years. During that time he was frequently retained as an expert witness and in this capacity participated in over 75 bench and jury trials. In 2004 John received his Juris Doctorate from New England School of Law. He began his law firm in 2006 and with his unique blend of specializations is able to address every aspect of medical-legal cases.

Seth G. Roman

Seth focuses his practice on general civil and criminal litigation. He was admitted to the New Hampshire Bar in 1997, the Maine Bar in 1998, and the Massachusetts Bar in 1998. He is also admitted to practice in the United States District Court, District of Massachusetts, and the First Circuit Court of Appeals. He graduated magna cum laude from Boston College in 1994 and cum laude from Boston College Law School in 1997. Seth began his legal career as a law clerk for the New Hampshire Superior Court, providing assistance with civil, criminal, equity, and domestic relations matters. Following his clerkship, he was accepted to the Attorney General’s Honor Program, serving as an attorney for the United States Department of Justice assigned to the Northeast Regional Office of the Federal Bureau of Prisons in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 2000, Seth and his wife, Susan, an investment advisor who grew up in Falmouth, returned to Cape Cod to start their family. Seth was hired as a criminal prosecutor, working in the Cape & Islands District Attorney’s Office under Philip Rollins, and then Michael O’Keefe. Seth joined La Tanzi, Spaulding & Landreth in 2021, after having worked at the Hyannis firm of Carter DeYoung (formerly Wilkins and DeYoung) since 2004. His civil practice is multi faceted, and includes complex business litigation, construction cases, personal injury, landlord/tenant, administrative appeals, civil rights cases, trust and estate litigation, debt collection, real estate cases, and other general civil litigation matters. Drawing upon his experience as a prosecutor, Seth defends individuals accused of felonies and misdemeanors in Superior Court, District Court, and Juvenile Court. Seth also handles civil and criminal appeals.

Christopher J. Ward

Although Chris is originally from Granby, Massachusetts, he spent countless summers in Eastham and Hyannis during his youth. He attended Deerfield Academy, then the University of Vermont, graduating in 1995 with degrees in English and Political Science. Chris graduated from Western New England University School of Law in 2001 and the Georgetown University Law Center in 2002, where he received an LL.M. in Taxation. Chris began his legal career working at his father’s general practice in Belchertown, Massachusetts. In 2002, Chris joined the Hyannis law firm of Haddleton & Associates, P.C., where he concentrated in estate planning, estate settlement/probate, and taxation. In 2007, Chris joined La Tanzi, Spaulding & Landreth where he became a partner in the Trusts and Estates Department in 2009. Chris is licensed to practice law in both Massachusetts and Florida. Chris is a past President of the Barnstable County Bar Association, past President of the Estate Planning Council of Cape Cod and past President of the Cape Cod Young Professionals. He serves on the Trust Fund Advisory Board for the Town of Barnstable, the Advisory Board for The Community Development Partnership and is a Executive Member of the JFK Hyannis Museum and a Cape Cod Five Corporator. Chris is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) and is AV rated by Martindale Hubbell. He has been recognized annually as both a Rising Star and a Super Lawyer by Massachusetts Super Lawyers since 2011. He has also been recognized by U.S. News & World Report and was named a Best Lawyer by New England’s Best. In 2010, he received a 40 Under 40 Award from Cape & Plymouth Business magazine. He is a regular speaker and writer in the areas of estate planning and estate settlement/probate.