Dinsmore Associate Dies at 35
Updated: Dinsmore & Shohl Associate Adam Maynard has died at age 35.
Maynard died last Friday, according to the Charleston Gazette and Dinsmore’s website. The cause of death is not listed.
A labor associate in Dinsmore’s Charleston, W.Va., office, Maynard was dubbed a “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers and was known as an accomplished employment litigator. He was also a devoted father to his 3-year-old son and a youth basketball coach.
The blog Above the Law noted the death and cited concerns by anonymous sources that Maynard had been working long hours before his death. “Friends and colleagues tell us that Maynard had been billing over 20 hours a day for multiple days in a row,” the blog says. “Those days came as a crescendo of a ‘month of nonstop billing,’ according to a friend.”
Dinsmore managing partner George Vincent tells the ABA Journal that Maynard had some underlying health problems and he does not believe the work hours caused the associate’s death. Maynard had about average billings, though he did have a very busy January, Vincent said.
“He was a wonderful person besides being a great lawyer,” Vincent says.
ATL acknowledges that Maynard may have died no matter what his profession. Still, it offers some advice. “In the end, no employer is going to care as much about your health as you do,” ATL says. “If your work is the most important thing to you, that’s fine, but there is no shame in telling a superior that you need a break. And if you are a superior, it’s in your interest to make sure that the work is being spread around in an efficient way.”
Maynard’s family members released this statement through their lawyer on Monday. “The passing of Adam Maynard has been and will continue to be a devastating and deep loss for our family. During this difficult time, the family has been hurt and dismayed by rumors and innuendo that Adam’s untimely passing was caused in some manner by his work. Adam’s death was in no way related to his career as an attorney, a profession of which he was proud to be a member. The family requests that individuals refrain from speculating or spreading rumors about Adam’s death. Such actions not only cause intense harm to the family but are a disservice to the wonderful memory of Adam.”
Updated on Feb. 23 to include the family’s statement.
