Staff

Betsey McCandless – Admitted to practice law in Maine and New York

- Fellow, American College of Trust and Estate Counsel
- Highest Martindale-Hubbell Rating (A-V)
- Listed in the Best Lawyers in America
- B.A. in Government, from Franklin & Marshall College, 1977
- J.D. Hofstra University School of Law, 1982; Associate Editor, Hofstra Law Review

Betsey began her legal career in New York City, working there from 1982 to 1985. She moved to Maine in 1985 and joined Pierce Atwood in Portland. In 1992 she co-founded Maine's first boutique trusts and estates firm, McCandless & Hunt, which is now known as McCandless LLC.

Betsey is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC), a national professional organization to which she was elected in 1995. She was a member of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court's Advisory Committee on Probate Rules for nine years, serving as Chair from 1996 through 2003. She was Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the University of Maine Foundation. Currently, Betsey serves as a Trustee of the Diocesan Funds for the Episcopal Diocese of Maine and as a member of the Planned Giving Advisory Board at The University of Southern Maine. She also serves as a Director of the Hospice of Southern Maine, a hospice program in York and Cumberland Counties, which operates the Gosnell House in Scarborough. She frequently lectures on charitable giving, estate administration and estate planning.

Betsey has three children, two stepchildren and five step grandchildren. She and her husband, Douglas Brown, MD, live in West Falmouth. The daughter of a lighting and scene designer, Betsey loves art. Painting with watercolor and oil and traveling top her list of favorite activities.

Betsey has a close working relationship with the trust and estate group in a large Portland law firm and works collaboratively with them on matters requiring multiple lawyers.

Kevin Cassidy - Estate Planning Paralegal

- A.B. in English and the Classics, magna cum laude, from Bowdoin College, 1985
- Phi Beta Kappa Society.

Kevin began his career as an estate planning paralegal at Pierce Atwood in 1986 where he worked for ten years. In 1996 he joined Betsey's firm where he continues his craft of drafting estate planning documents. Kevin has drafted legislation for Maine Tax Codes, particularly the 2005 Maine marital trust legislation. He is a board member of the Alpha Delta Phi Society Literary Fund at Bowdoin College, and serves on the selection committee for the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Cup. A native of Houlton, Maine, Kevin now lives in Brunswick with his wife, Lisa Fink, and their two children. Kevin took up running with his son, an accomplished runner, and now competes regularly in 5k and 10k races. He recently qualified for the Boston Marathon.

Kimberly Dunfey - Estate and Trust Administrator

- B.A. in Psychology, cum laude, University of Maine

Kim began her career as an estate administration paralegal with Betsey in 1995. From 1997 to 2010 she continued administering estates and trusts with David E. Hunt, Esq., in Portland. She rejoined Betsey’s firm in the summer of 2010.

Prior to becoming a trust and estate administrator, Kim worked in the ski industry in Vail, Colorado, and as a crew member on a private charter sailboat based out of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Kim enjoys sailing and skiing in Maine and lives in Falmouth with her husband, Sean, and their two sons, Braedon and Teagan.

Ann Kirner - Senior Trust and Estate Administrator

- B.A. in Political Science, cum laude, Marymount College in 1970

Ann has worked in Portland as a trust, estate and tax administrator since 1985, beginning her career at Pierce Atwood. In 1994 she joined Betsey's firm where she continues her work on complicated estates and, with Betsey, supervises all of the firm's estate administration and tax return functions. Ann and her husband, Tim, live in Cape Elizabeth. They enjoy weekend escapes to Swan's Island in the warmer months and visits with their three children and four grandchildren throughout the year.

Samantha Labrie - Estate and Trust Administrator

- B.A. in English and Business from Skidmore College, 1990

Samantha has worked for many years as a tax and estate administrator in the Portland area. She began her career at Jensen, Baird, Gardner & Henry before joining Betsey in 1996. After a temporary relocation to England and time at home with her small children, Samantha rejoined McCandless LLC in 2009. She enjoys outdoor sports year-round. Her favorite activities are boating, hiking, and skiing. Samantha and her husband live in Cape Elizabeth with their two sons.

Paula Lorello - Legal Assistant

Paula Lorello is a Portland native who has worked at law firms in the city for the last 30 years. She joined Betsey McCandless's firm in 2000. Paula now lives in Gray with her husband, Tom. She has a son who recently graduated from Wheaton College and is working in Boston.

Lorie Dana - Legal Assistant

- Graduate of Katharine Gibbs School, Boston
- Graduated Magna Cum Laude University of Southern Maine, BA in English

After completing the Katharine Gibbs School’s Computer Processing Course, Lorie worked at Goodwin, Proctor and Hoar in Boston. While there, she received her Massachusetts real estate license and joined a team of commercial brokers at Hunneman Commercial Brokers. After four years with Hunneman, and a brief hiatus in Europe, she moved to Portland and received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Southern Maine. Upon graduation, she took a position as general manager of Street and Co. Restaurant in Portland. After five years as manager, she opened her own jewelry business in Portland, "Silver Hammer", which she operated for six years.

Lorie lives in Portland with her husband and two young children. In her free time she enjoys gardening, running, skiing and spending time with her family on Casco Bay.

Martha Mallick - Estate and Trust Administrator

- B.A. in English from Westminster College, 1969

After working as the business manager for a large South Portland church, she joined Betsey in 2002 where she assists with the administration of estates and with trust matters. Martha and her husband, Michael, have three adult sons and live in Cape Elizabeth. They love to travel and hope to finish visiting all 50 states and all of the major league ballparks in the next few years.