Dianne

Sarah received her Bachelor of Music in music education from the Eastman School in 2004.  She then attended Georgetown University Law Center, where she was an editor of the Georgetown Journal of Law and Public Policy,  graduating cum laude in 2007.  Following law school, Sarah began her legal career as a litigator at a major Boston law firm, working on large complex commercial cases.  She received the firm’s award for most significant impact in a pro bono case for her work done on behalf of pre-adoptive parents, a case featured in Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly. Sarah has litigated in a number of different areas including, complex commercial litigation, product liability, international torts, and domestic relations.  She also has experience in labor, employment and employee benefits law, having drafted employee handbooks, helped structure reductions in force, and defended discrimination suits. Managing Partner Lucy Prashker, on the newest member of the firm: “Sarah’s talent, sound judgment, and big firm experience will serve our clients well.  We are very pleased that she has joined our litigation team.”

Cain Hibbard & Myers F. Sydney Smithers was recently honored with the Life Trustee Award from The Trustees of Reservations, a nonprofit group dedicated to the preservation and enjoyment of nearly 25,000 acres of open space and historic structures in Massachusetts. A member since 1981, Syd was elected as a corporate trustee in 1983 and most recently served as chair of the Board of Directors from 2003 to 2009.  Under his leadership the Trustees raised more than $90 million dollars in revenue and land value, and implemented governance reform. The mission of the Trustees is not mere land conservation, but in keeping the land open for public use and enjoyment in perpetuity.  In 1993 Syd and his wife Mundi donated the 93-acre Smithers Woodland Preserve in Windsor, Mass to The Trustees. Syd was presented with the award at the 122nd annual meeting in Boston, Massachusetts on November 7, 2013. To read more about Syd and this prestigious reward. For more information on the Trustees of Reservations. Other news Syd Smithers chosen editor-in-chief of Crocker’s Notes on Common Forms View Sydney Smithers profile

When the 20th edition of The Best Lawyers in America is published, it will include Cain, Hibbard & Myers’ Diane DeGiacomo.  For over 30 years, Best Lawyers has served as the definitive reference guide to lawyers with superlative skills.  Diane makes the list for her work in the areas of Employment Law and Family Law. Lawyers make the list solely through a process of peer review.  Comprised of more than 4 million confidential evaluations, the selection survey helps to identify the top attorneys in the country.  Once the field is broken down by geography and area of practice, nominated practitioners are evaluated by those who know them best – their professional peers.  Tens of thousands of the leading lawyers in the country confidentially evaluate the nominees through a process designed to accurately capture the consensus opinions regarding the professional abilities of their colleagues.  This year’s publication includes over 50,000 attorneys in over 100 practice areas, covering all 50 states and the District of Columbia. About The Best Lawyers in America The Best Lawyers in America has been published annually since 2006 and is the oldest peer review publication in the legal profession.  Published world-wide in over 60 countries, Best Lawyers’...

F. Sydney Smithers was recently appointed editor-in-chief of the leading reference book for title and real estate lawyers, Crocker’s Notes on Common Forms.  First published in 1883 by Uriel H. Crocker, Crocker’s Notes on Common Forms has served as the essential reference for Massachusetts title attorneys and conveyancers for over 100 years. As editor-in-chief, Syd will be responsible for many aspects of the production.  He will help to identify new contributors, review updates to chapters as they come in from authors, and serve as advisor when determining the best choice of case law for the various chapters.  Prior to accepting editorial duties, Syd contributed two chapters to earlier editions of the treatise. Since acquiring the copyright in 1995, Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education (or MCLE) has published two editions of Crocker’s Notes.  The most recent edition, the ninth, was published in 2006, with supplements published in 2008 and 2010.  The 2012 edition will be the tenth in the publication’s history, and the first edited by Syd.  Syd takes over editorial duties from prominent real estate lawyer Henry H. Thayer, Esq. of Rackemann, Sawyer & Brewster, who served as editor for both the eighth and ninth editions.  Look for the newest edition in...

Cain Hibbard & Myers sponsored the performance of Darwin the Dinosaur, an innovative and heart-rending tale of a dinosaur discovering the true meaning of love performed by the highly-talented New Orleans troupe Corbian. The story was told through electroluminescent crayon-like evolutionary creatures that magically lit up the stage. The performance, which was a part of the A-HA! educational series at the Mahaiwe, was enthusiastically received by an energetic house of elementary school children from Berkshire County schools. Cain Hibbard is a regular sponsor of the A-HA! series at the Mahaiwe.

Diane DeGiacomo joined other experienced family law practitioners and Probate Court judges from Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin and Berkshire counties to speak at the annual seminar ‘Sophisticated Issues in Western Massachusetts Family Law Practice’ held on February 29, 2012 in Springfield, Massachusetts. Her topic explored the complex issues involved in advising and representing clients in divorce cases during times of economic upheaval.

Syd Smithers and Diane DeGiacomo named Massachusetts Super Lawyers JANUARY 31, 2012 For the last seven consecutive years Sydney Smithers has been recognized as a Massachusetts Super Lawyer in the area of Real Estate.  Super Lawyers, an independent rating service, recognizes outstanding lawyers who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.  According to the rating service, only five percent of the total lawyers in the state are selected for inclusion in Super Lawyers. Diane DeGiacomo has not only been recognized as a 2010 Massachusetts Super Lawyer in the area of family law and employment law but she has also been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America for 2009 and 2012.   According to Best Lawyers, selection is based on a confidential peer-review survey of top lawyers in the country.