I grew up in Portland, Maine. I left at 18 years old with a plan to never return to small town life. I had planned to be a novelist. Later, when I began to doubt whether I had the talent to write a great novel, I began working towards becoming a professor of literature. At 22, I enrolled in a PhD program in comparative literature at Columbia. It didn't take me long to realize that the secluded life of an academic wasn't for me. I left after a year.
I had the good fortune to be connected with lawyers at Weitz & Luxenberg, who hired me as a paralegal. I loved it there. I wasn't actually very good at the things paralegals were supposed to be good at, but I made close friendships with lawyers who have remained mentors and friends for two decades.
After law school, I practiced law in New York City for several years. Then, much to my own surprise, I decided to return home to Maine, where I began working with my future partner, Ben Gideon.
Five years ago, Ben and I started Gideon Asen. At the firm's inception, there were three of us: Ben, me, and a paralegal. Today, there are 8 lawyers and 12 staff members. We practice primarily in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. We specialize in medical malpractice and complex, high stakes personal injury cases.
