We are happy to announce that attorneys Maria Fox and Heather Whiting have joined the firm as Partners. Bringing with them experience in areas including employment law, family law, estate planning, mediation, and other specialties, both attorneys worked most recently at MittelAsen in Portland.

“We’re pleased to welcome Maria and Heather to Murray Plumb & Murray, both of whom will bring a wealth of knowledge to the firm,” said Drew Anderson, Managing Director of Murray Plumb & Murray. “We already know that many of our clients benefit from legal expertise in the employment realm, and we’re excited to now be able to offer more in depth support in the realm of family law as well.”

Maria Fox has practiced employment law for over 20 years. She provides legal consultation and representation before administrative tribunals as well as in state and federal court to both employees and employers. Her experience covers a broad range of workplace disputes, and she has negotiated countless employment contracts and severance agreements, working with high level employees including CEOs and School Superintendents.

Maria provides neutral services, including mediation and arbitration, as well as independent investigations of workplace issues for employers faced with difficult or highly sensitive personnel matters. Maria’s clients include employers and employees in all types of public and private settings, including healthcare entities, non-profit organizations, law enforcement agencies, schools (pre-K through higher education), factories, and law firms.

Maria is a frequent presenter on employment law and alternative dispute resolution topics for professional organizations such as the Maine Association of Mediators and the Maine State Bar Association (MSBA). She is a former Co-Chair of the Women’s Law Section of the MSBA and she is a member of the MSBA Labor and Employment Law Section, the Maine Employment Lawyers Association, and the National Employment Lawyers Association. She serves on the Employment Arbitration Panel and the Labor and Employment Mediator Panel for the American Arbitration Association. The Maine Human Rights Commission and Maine Labor Relations Board selected her to serve on their respective mediator panels.

Maria has served as Board President for STAGES Youth Theater in Portland since 2017 and volunteers as a coach for the Mock Trial Team at Casco Bay High School. She is a resident of Portland.

Heather Whiting’s practice concentrates in family law. She handles all matters that fall under this umbrella, including divorce, parental rights, separations, guardianships, adoptions, grandparent rights, de facto parentage, and prenuptial agreements. She also acts as a neutral, conducting private mediation services as a divorce mediator.

Heather brings a breadth of knowledge to her practice, having begun her legal career as a corporate lawyer working with large firms, owning and operating a small business, and being a mother to three children as well as representing children in court as a Guardian ad litem. Her life experiences allow her to counsel her clients on a myriad of issues that may arise during a contested family law matter. Additionally, she provides estate planning and probate administration services as well as representing clients in probate litigation matters such as will contests and breach of fiduciary duties.

She is a member of the Cumberland County Bar Association, the Edward Gignoux Inn of Court, and the Women’s Law and Family Law Sections of the Maine State Bar Association. She is past Chair and Secretary of the Family Law Section. Heather is the editor and contributing author of A Practical Guide to Divorce in Maine, published by Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education New England. She is also a member of Lawyers of Distinction, Recognizing Excellence in Family and Divorce Law, 2021.

Heather’s volunteer activities include the Volunteer Lawyers Project (VLP) domestic violence panel and the Homeless Legal Aid Clinic. She was recognized by the Katahdin Counsel for her dedication to providing pro bono legal services to low income Maine residents and is a past recipient of a VLP Pro Bono Publico Award in the area of family law. Heather has served on executive committees for Kids First Center the Maine Collaborative Law Alliance. She lives in Falmouth.