The 2025 LBA Officers and Executive Committee

Benjamin Falkner, President

Attorney Benjamin Falkner focuses his practice on criminal defense and civil litigation at Krasnoo, Klehm & Falkner LLP.  He has extensive experience handling federal and state, criminal and juvenile matters at trial and on appeal. Ben handles matters in courts throughout the Merrimack Valley and beyond, in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. His criminal defense work includes allegations of all crimes, including serious federal drug and gun crimes, violent crimes, computer and financial crimes, among many others. Ben also has extensive experience with administrative law, including state registry matters and matters before federal agencies. His civil experience includes several police brutality trials.

Ben graduated with a BA in Journalism from Ohio State in 2002 and received his JD from Suffolk in 2006. Ben’s favorite activity is spending time with his two young children.

Miguel Nieves, President-Elect

Miguel Nieves is a Partner at Socci & Nieves Family Law Group, LLP in North Andover, MA. Miguel focuses his practice exclusively on family law, and he provides invaluable counsel and support to a diverse range of clients throughout Southern New Hampshire and Massachusetts who have legal needs involving family law matters. Miguel has more than 20 years of family law experience. He is adept at handling matters inside and outside the courtroom. Although his goal is to resolve matters short of trial, Miguel has had numerous successful jury and bench trials throughout his career.

 Miguel received a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Political Science from The University of New Hampshire. He then graduated from New England Law | Boston in 2000 with a Juris Doctor. While in attendance, Miguel was a member of the New England Law Review where he served as a Case and Notes Editor and his article was selected for publication in the New England Law Review.

 Miguel has presented through Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education with regard to practicing Family Law on the border of Massachusetts and New Hampshire. He is an active member of the Essex Bar Association and Lawrence Bar Association. Miguel volunteers his time as a court appointed Conciliator with the Essex County Family Court. He also serves on the Development Committee and Advisory Council with the Lawrence Boys & Girls Club.

Matthew Perry, Vice President

Matthew Perry is an associate at Rosen & Goyal, P.C. in Andover.  He has extensive experience representing both plaintiffs and defendants in a variety of civil litigation matters concerning employment discrimination, business disputes, administrative agency decisions, and many other areas. Notably, Matthew represents the ballot committee responsible for Question 2 on the 2022 Massachusetts general election ballot, and argued the committee’s position before the Supreme Judicial Court.

 Matthew received his Juris Doctor from Northeastern University School of Law, where he was a judicial intern for the late Chief Justice Ralph Gants at the SJC during his 3L year.  He was also a teaching assistant for the school’s course on legal research and writing, a co-chair of the Northeastern chapter of the American Constitution Society, and a participant in the Texas Young Lawyers Association’s 2018 National Trial Competition. Prior to attending Northeastern, he received a bachelor’s degree, summa cum laude, in Political Science from Merrimack College in North Andover, and worked for Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems in Andover.

Gita Brazelis, Treasurer

Gita Brazelis is a Partner at Touchstone Closing & Escrow.  Gita was raised on the South Shore and early on relocated to New Hampshire. She graduated from the University of New Hampshire, making the Dean’s List, with a Bachelor of Science in 1990.

After several years in the workforce in various Management/Administration roles, Gita decided to pursue a legal career. In 2001, while working as a Paralegal in Boston for Peabody and Arnold, LLP, she began attending law school. In 2002, Gita began work in Andover as a Paralegal for the Law Office of Michael E. Lombard while continuing her legal education and graduated cum laude from the Massachusetts School of Law in 2005.

Gita was admitted to practice in the Massachusetts State Courts in 2005 and the New Hampshire State Court and Federal Court Systems in 2006. She is also a member of the New Hampshire Bar Association.

Taylor Dauksewicz - Secretary

Taylor G. Dauksewicz is a partner at Shimer & Dauksewicz, LLC in Haverhill, Massachusetts, a female-owned and operated law firm. For more than 10 years, Taylor has focused her practice primarily on employment law, providing representation to both employers and employees in state court, as well as administrative agencies, including the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD), the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office and the Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA), to name a few. Taylor and her business partner, Ellen C. Shimer, also handle all aspects of family law in both Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire.

Taylor grew up in Connecticut and obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Central Connecticut State University in 2006. After relocating to Massachusetts, she decided to attend law school, working full-time as a paralegal during the day and attending school at night at the Massachusetts School of Law in Andover, Massachusetts, where she earned her JD in 2012. Outside of the practice of law, Taylor loves nothing more than spending time with her young son and husband in the NEK.

Members of the Lawrence Bar Association Executive Committee

• Alicia McNeil*

• Victoria Ranieri*

• Steven Blair

• Dan Hinchey

• Brian Anderson

• Mike Downing

• Jennifer Capone

• Fortunata Colucci

• Sandra Gutierrez

• Collins Farhat

• Kelly Spencer

• Mary Cautadella

• Julissa Cruz

• Erika Castillo

* Ex-officio former presidents