MEET OUR TEAM
With over thirty years of combined experience in trial litigation and strong connections with our local community, the attorneys of OPLaw are ready to help you.
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Before forming OPLaw, Chris spent 15 years serving his community as a criminal prosecutor with the Addison County State's Attorney's Office. Having successfully argued more than 100 trials, Chris is one of the more experienced criminal trial attorneys in Vermont. He has shepherded criminal cases from their start at arraignment, through motion practice and jury trials, and has even argued before the Vermont Supreme Court a number of times. Chris is completely familiar with all aspects of any criminal law case.
A native Vermonter, Chris grew up in South Burlington and graduated from South Burlington High School in 1988. He earned a B.A. in Sociology from UVM in 1992 and his Juris Doctorate from Syracuse University College of Law in 1996. After graduating, Chris started his law career in Oregon, working first for the Klamath County District Attorney as a domestic violence prosecutor, then as a Deputy District Attorney in Umatilla County, Oregon. After nearly four years, Chris returned home to Vermont to be closer to his family, and joined a general law practice in Bennington Vermont, then a family law firm in Burlington. In 2004, Chris was deputized by State’s Attorney John Quinn and began his 15-year run as an Addison County prosecutor. During his tenure, he taught new police officers at the Vermont Police Academy, served on legislative committees relating to criminal justice, and prosecuted thousands of criminal cases from minor cases like shoplifting to multi-day trials involving sexual violence or homicide. Chris is one of the most experienced attorneys in Vermont in juvenile law and is one of the few attorneys who has completed Drug Recognition Expert training, which trains police officers to recognize when drivers are impaired by drugs other than alcohol. When not working, Chris enjoys spending time with his wife Dorothy and their son hiking and sailing on Lake Champlain. |
Melissa joined OPLaw in the fall of 2021. A native Vermonter, Melissa turned her love of learning and teaching into a successful 17-year career in the field of Early Childhood Education, earning both her associates degree and bachelor’s degree in that field. She most recently worked at Kid Logic Learning for 8 years before deciding to change her career path.
As OPLaw’s legal assistant, Melissa friendly voice is often the first one you will hear. Her responsibilities include scheduling all client appointments and sending out notices of court hearings. She can answer most questions about your case and next important date or set up an office conference or phone call with your attorney. When not juggling schedules, answering the phones, and generally keeping every case well-organized, Melissa enjoys going to the gym, listening to music, reading, camping and spending time with her husband and her three children. She will often be found at her children’s after-school activities or sports, cheering them on. She can be bribed with white chocolate, but only by her kids. |
