After 35 years with Skelton Taintor & Abbott, Steve Wade retired March 1, 2021.
Steve devoted his 35-year career to representing people dealing with suffering and loss as a result of the carelessness of others. He has represented thousands of individuals, each of whom has experienced a traumatic event that has resulted in their injury or in the death of a loved one.
Steve is one of Maine’s top trial lawyers and an invited member of some of the most prestigious trial lawyer organizations in the world: The International Society of Barristers, an honor society of trial lawyers chosen by their peers on the basis of excellence and integrity in advocacy. Presently, there are three in Maine. Steve presently sits on the Board of Governors of the International Society of Barristers. He is also a Certified Member of the National Board of Trial Advocacy, a group who selects those who are regarded by peers in the personal injury bar as among the most ethical and accomplished trial attorneys in their respective states (presently there are four in Maine).
He has been named in Best Lawyers® in America since 2008 and is listed in the areas of insurance law, medical malpractice law – plaintiffs, personal injury litigation – defendants, personal injury litigation – plaintiffs, product liability litigation – defendants, and product liability litigation – plaintiffs. In 2019 Best Lawyers awarded Steve “Lawyer of the Year” in medical malpractice law – plaintiffs, in 2017 for insurance law, and in 2016 in product liability litigation – defendants.
He also has been listed in New England Super Lawyers since 2007. He holds an AV® Preeminent Peer Review Rating in the distinguished legal directory, Martindale-Hubbell®*, the highest possible rating for both competency and ethics. He is also rated by Chambers & Partners which is an independent, international lawyer rating organization based in London, England. They rank lawyers and law firms around the world based on the research of 150 full time editors and researchers. They conduct in-depth interviews of lawyers and clients in Maine to come up with their ratings. They have listed Steve as a “leader in the field.” Steve is a former president of the Androscoggin County Bar Association.
Among his interests is teaching trial skills to other attorneys. He has been invited to teach trial advocacy at national trial colleges by the National Institute of Trial Advocacy of Boulder, Colorado for a number of years. He has also lectured and written at state level lawyer seminars and in lawyer publications in such areas as product liability, professional liability, insurance coverage and litigation.
Steve is admitted to practice in all Maine courts, as well as the Maine U.S. District Court and the First Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.
Born in Rumford, Maine, Steve received his B.S. in engineering, cum laude, from the University of New Hampshire and his law degree, cum laude, from Western Michigan University, Thomas M. Cooley Law School. Steve was an Eagle Scout as a boy and is active in local nonprofit entities.
*AV® Preeminent™ is a certification mark of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies.
The Best Lawyers in America® 2010. Copyright 2009 by Woodward/White, Inc., Aiken, SC.