Portsmouth, NH

Charles G. Douglas III

Charles G. Douglas III is a founding lawyer of Douglas, Leonard & Garvey, P.C., focusing solely on litigation. He served as a Justice on the New Hampshire Supreme Court and a judge on the Superior Court trial bench. He has been recognized in The Best Lawyers In America for Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs and named the 2021 Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs - “Lawyer of the Year” for Concord. He holds an “AV-Preeminent” rating from Martindale-Hubbell and is the author of the New Hampshire Evidence Manual and New Hampshire Practice and Procedure: Family Law.

Peter Thompson

Peter Thompson has over 30 years of experience fighting for accident victims, successfully resolving thousands of cases and recovering over $20,000,000 for clients last year. He holds a 'Best Lawyers in America' rating from U.S. News & World Report, is featured in New England SuperLawyers magazine, and is 'AV Preeminent' rated by Lawyers.com. He also supports non-profit organizations like the Brain Injury Association and the Consumer Health Law Program.

John L. Ward

Attorney Ward is the founder and managing partner of Ward Law Group, PLLC and his areas of concentration are Personal Injury, Workers’ Compensation, and Social Security Disability claims. He graduated Cum Laude from UNH and Franklin Pierce Law Center (now UNH School of Law). He is a member of the New Hampshire Bar Association, New Hampshire Bar Association’s Legal Committee, New Hampshire Association for Justice, National Organization of Social Security Claimant’s Representatives, and the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. He serves on the board of directors for the North Manchester Hooksett Little League and the Manchester City Library Foundation, and is a Trustee for the Polaris Charter School. He is the former Chair, President, and Vice President of the NHBA’s Workers’ Compensation Section, and a former member of the NHBA’s New Lawyers Committee. He has been recognized as one of the top ten Personal Injury attorneys under 40 in New Hampshire by the National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys, named in the New Hampshire Union Leaders Top 40 under 40 (2022), a Top 40 Under 40 civil plaintiff attorney by the National Trial Lawyers Association (2014-2021), awarded the Client’s Choice Award by AVVO (2019, 2020, 2021, 2023), and featured in Super Lawyers Magazine for ten consecutive years (2015-2024 as rising star, 2025 as super lawyer). He regularly speaks at seminars and coaches youth baseball and flag football.

Gene R. Libby

Gene has a rich history of litigation experience over the last 30 years. He has tried over 100 civil and criminal jury cases to verdict. His practice focuses on a wide variety of civil and criminal litigation representing individuals and small businesses, including divorce, real estate disputes, small business litigation, elder law, personal injury, professional negligence and criminal defense. He has been listed in Best Lawyers in America since 2003 and named a New England Super Lawyer by his peers. In 2010, he was named one of the top 100 Maine trial lawyers by the American Trial Lawyers Association. He is rated by his peers AV® Preeminent (5 of 5), the highest rating available from Martindale-Hubbell, the country’s oldest and most respected legal directory. Gene served as District Attorney for York County between 1981-85. He continues to serve York County as General Counsel to the York County Commissioners and all County departments (Deeds, Probate, Sheriff, Corrections) since 1998. He has undertaken numerous high profile divorce cases representing doctors, lawyers and corporate executives. He successfully litigated the first Maine divorce case to interpret the State’s 1999 marital property statute. Warner v. Warner, 2002 ME 156, 807 A.2d 603. Gene has thirty years of experience in litigating a diverse mix of civil and criminal cases. Developing his original trial expertise as District Attorney, Gene now also devotes his time to a variety of litigation matters. He gained early notoriety after leaving public office by successfully challenging, in a case of first impression, the introduction of DNA identification evidence. This was only the second time nationally DNA evidence had been successfully challenged. The case, Maine v. McLeod, was featured in a number of national publications including, The American Bar Journal, Science Magazine,Nature Magazine, The Bureau of National Affairs (BNA),Criminal Practice Manual. Gene’s cross examination of the state’s forensic expert has been used as a model in the permanent edition of the BNA Criminal Practice Manual entitled, “Cross Examination of Experts.” Gene has also represented a diverse group of business clients including The Boy Scouts of America, Catholic Charities of Maine and York County Government. His successes include: Boy Scouts of America-in state counsel for all litigation matters; successful defense of several sexual misconduct allegations in state and federal courts, SCA v. Boy Scouts of America, Docket No. CV-02-157-PC; J. H. v. Boy Scouts of America, Docket No. CV-00-45-PH. Catholic Charities Maine-successfully challenged the City of Portland’s Domestic Partnership’s Ordinance establishing that the Ordinance could not regulate ERISA controlled health benefits; Catholic Charities Maine v. City of Portland, Docket No. 03-CV-55-PH (first and only case to interpret and apply IRC 410(d)). York County-successfully represented County in high visibility challenge by Judge of Probate to hold County Treasurer in contempt of court, York County Register v. York County Probate Court, et. al., 2004 ME 58, 847 A.2d 395. In 2001 Mr. Libby won a self-defense acquittal for his client charged with murdering an individual using a baseball bat. In 2003 Mr. Libby successfully represented a former State Police Officer charged with arson of his restaurant. He has spoken nationally at the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers on cross examination of experts and is a frequent speaker in Maine on a diverse group of legal topics. Mr. Libby also represents severely injured clients in personal injury matters. He settled a million dollar case for a minor who lost his thumb when a tree limb fell on him while on the school playground.

Michael P. Rainboth

Attorney Rainboth is a founding partner of Rainboth, Coughenour & Lown, P.A. He has concentrated his practice on representing seriously injured victims of negligence since 1993. He has extensive trial experience in New Hampshire and Maine, including medical malpractice, premises liability, products liability, auto accidents, workers' compensation, and wrongful death. He has obtained several significant recoveries for clients, including multi-million dollar cases, and has been recognized by Best Lawyers in America and New England Super Lawyers.

C. Kevin Leonard

Kevin Leonard is a founding partner of Douglas, Leonard & Garvey, P.C. He has been recognized in The Best Lawyers In America for Employment Law - Individuals and named the 2020 Concord Employment Law - Individuals “Lawyer of the Year.” He is also a New England Super Lawyer in Employment Law and holds an “AV-Preeminent” rating from Martindale-Hubbell. Kevin focuses on representing employees in employment litigation, personal injury, and workers’ compensation claims, and is a past President of the National Employment Lawyers Association, New Hampshire Chapter.

Christopher DiBella

Christopher DiBella is the founding partner of DiBella Law Injury and Accident Lawyers. Few attorneys are able to understand and relate to the hardships accident victims suffer. Chris remembers vividly, as a child receiving the call no one ever hopes to receive that his older brother was involved in a life-threatening car accident. He remembers the impact the accident had on him and his family. Chris often recalls the stories about his grandfathers who immigrated to the United States with nothing and were forced to work in abhorrent conditions with little to no regard for their safety. Growing up, he also witnessed the needless injuries his father suffered as a laborer in the construction industry. Since Chris was the first generation in his family to attend college, his father pushed him on the path toward law school very early on. He was so passionate about that path that his father once came home from a hard day’s work on the construction site with a 400-page legal textbook for Chris to read. His parents saw the legal profession as a place where one could have a meaningful and profound impact on behalf of others. Early in his career, Chris fought on behalf of employees who were fired or laid off. He went on to serve the community as a prosecutor in district court. Chris understands that the practice of law is and always has been about the people.