Our Roots

Mike Lebel and Phil Harriman formally organized Lebel & Harriman, LLP as a Maine-based partnership in March of 1983 – solidifying our roots. The prevailing professional wisdom at the time was that every solution, no matter what problem their clients faced, could be found within a small toolbox of proprietary products.  By contrast, Mike and Phil believed in an idea that everyone else thought was crazy: focus on finding best interest solutions for clients instead of pushing product.  Guided by this shared core belief that if you treat people the way you want to be treated then success will follow, they began to build their firm by building relationships. 

As they looked ahead, with both the financial industry and their clients’ needs evolving, Mike and Phil decided to prepare for the future by organizing areas of specialty within the firm. Attracting and retaining top-notch talent with a range of expertise to serve these needs required building an inspiring and supportive work environment. Mike and Phil followed the same philosophy for bringing on new team members as with clients: treat people right. This is one of the legacies Phil and Mike are most proud of — the firm they started almost 40 years ago continues their reputation for being a great place to work. 

Today, Laurie Reed, Jennifer Breton, Matthew Arey, and Nate Moody serve as Partners in the firm, while Phil Harriman continues to be an integral member of the team, and Mike Lebel retired in 2022. Jennifer acts as Lebel & Harriman’s CEO, with Laurie, Rebecca Burchill, and Michelle Romano as members of the Leadership team.  They are grateful to be joined by 12 talented, hardworking, proactive, compassionate professionals who focus on delivering best interest advice and solutions.  

The shared tenants of always providing advice that is in the best interest of our clients and treating people right still guide the firm. These simple ideas remain a hallmark of the Lebel & Harriman culture and experience.