Eaton Peabody is one of Maine’s most widely recognized and respected law firms with nearly 60 attorneys and consultants and over 50 support staff to serve clients throughout New England and Atlantic Canada from offices in Augusta, Bangor, Brunswick, Ellsworth and Portland.
The law practice was originated by George F. Eaton in 1917. He quickly established himself as the pre-eminent business lawyer in Bangor and was joined in 1937 by George F. Peabody. In 1939, George F. Eaton and George F. Peabody made their partnership official by forming the law partnership of Eaton & Peabody, focusing their practice on civil and business law. The partnership of Eaton & Peabody flourished and became the law firm of choice for clients seeking business law advice in northern and eastern Maine. Merrill “Pappy” Bradford and Arnold Veague joined the practice in the 1940’s and the firm was renamed Eaton, Peabody, Bradford & Veague. The firm continued to grow and moved to its current Exchange Street, Bangor location in 1977. Today, more than 50 lawyers in five locations maintain a major statewide law practice.
Today, Eaton Peabody’s approach is very much like that of our founding partners in serving our clients as their trusted facilitators and problem solvers. We are results oriented and strive to avoid “over lawyering.” We get to know our clients and strive to anticipate potential legal issues and address them at an early stage rather than reacting after the fact. Our experience allows us to handle basic tasks in a timely and cost efficient manner. Our depth ensures that more complex matters receive thorough consideration from an attorney, or a team of attorneys, with hands-on experience in a variety of specialized areas.
Our founding partners instilled a strong sense of community responsibility that remains a valued tradition at Eaton Peabody. Both professionals and staff are active leaders in the communities in which we practice, contributing both time and resources to strengthen those communities.
In 2008, Eaton Peabody formally established a charitable foundation to focus charitable giving in the communities we serve.
Eaton Peabody is committed to providing top quality pro bono service, and we encourage each of our lawyers to devote time to those who can least afford legal representation. The firm averages 1,200 hours of pro bono legal service per year working through the Volunteer Lawyers Project and Pine Tree Legal Assistance, Inc., as well as less formally through representation of individuals and charities.
We are proud to be a supporter of the Volunteer Lawyers Project, a legal referral source funded by the Maine Bar Foundation for clients who meet federal poverty guidelines. The Volunteer Lawyers Project opened its doors in 1980, and the firm has been a strong supporter ever since. We dedicate almost half of our yearly pro bono hours to this organization. Many of our lawyers also donate time as ‘Lawyer of the Day,’ assisting with the placement of indigent clients with volunteer lawyers throughout the state.
