Tim Zerillo
Services Handled
About
“He operates at the highest level of professionalism, but doesn't hesitate to rip his opponents to shreds when warranted.” —Former Client
“It’s always a good idea to hire Zerillo.” —Judge to Defendant at his arraignment.
. . .
Timothy E. Zerillo is a Maine civil and criminal trial lawyer whose practice focuses on criminal defense and complex civil litigation throughout the State of Maine and in federal court. Known for zealous, disciplined advocacy, Zerillo has earned a national reputation while practicing in Maine.
Zerillo regularly teaches lawyers across the country how to win difficult cases. He frequently lectures for the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and has previously taught for the Association of Federal Defense Attorneys, the Maine Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, the Virginia State Bar, and the Idaho Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, among others.
Zerillo was born in Portland, Maine. He is the grandson of noted writer and historian Earl Schenck Miers. His mother was a schoolteacher, and his father was an economics professor at Saint Joseph’s College of Maine. He attended the University of New Hampshire, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature in 1995, and received his Juris Doctor from New England Law in 2000.
Trial Experience and Case Types—Sex, Drugs and White Collar Crime
Zerillo has represented people from all walks of life—actors and athletes, lawyers and doctors, lobstermen and laborers. His cases are often notable and have, at times, drawn national and international media attention. His work has been covered by The Boston Globe, The New York Times, the Daily Mail in London, and publications such as Vanity Fair.
He began practicing law in 2000 and later founded Zerillo Law Firm, LLC, in Portland, Maine, with a focus on criminal defense and civil litigation.
Zerillo has won numerous jury trials throughout the State of Maine, in courts ranging from rural counties to Maine’s busiest trial courts. Zerillo has won jury trials in cases involving such charges as Gross Sexual Assault, Assault, Criminal Threatening, Drug Cases, Unlawful Sexual Contact and more. His trial experience includes felony and misdemeanor cases involving Drug Trafficking, Gross Sexual Assault, Sex Crimes of all types, Aggravated Assault, Aggravated Drug Trafficking, Theft offenses, Criminal Threatening and assault cases.
While Zerillo Law Firm, LLC represents clients over a broad spectrum of civil and criminal matters, Zerillo’s practice is more limited. He describes his criminal practice as “Sex, Drugs and White Collar Crime.” Zerillo is unparralled in Maine for his experience, skill and national reputation in the defense of sex, computer crime, drug and white collar criminal cases.
Sometimes, people wonder what a white collar case is. White collar crimes in Maine include theft and fraud offenses under Maine law, among other case types. Charges like as Theft by Deception (17-A M.R.S. § 354), Forgery (§ 702), Identity Theft (§ 905-A), Insurance Fraud (24-A M.R.S. § 2186), securities fraud and unlawful securities practices (32 M.R.S. § 16501), and computer-related crimes (§§ 431–433) are all examples of Maine white collar crimes. Zerillo also represents clients in federal white-collar investigations and prosecutions in the United States District Court for the District of Maine and on appeal before the First Circuit Court of Appeals. Federal white collar matters include wire fraud, bank fraud, securities fraud, conspiracy, false statements, and parallel state-federal financial investigations.
Results Beyond Verdicts
Sometimes winning a criminal case means preventing a conviction. Zerillo has hung juries in many serious criminal cases, stopping the State from obtaining a guilty verdict.
In one Class A Gross Sexual Assault case, the prosecutor told Zerillo it was impossible to win. The odds were heavily stacked against the defense. Zerillo tried the case anyway and hung the jury, preventing the State from convicting his client.
In another Class A Gross Sexual Assault matter, Zerillo was retained after a prominent Maine attorney secured a reversal on appeal and the client faced retrial and an 18-year sentence. Zerillo took over the case, secured the client’s release from custody, and—on the eve of retrial—persuaded the prosecution to resolve the case with time served.
Zerillo has won numerous dismissals and pretrial motions, resulting in dismissal. Known for his aggressive discovery and suppression practice, Zerillo believes strongly in the privacy of his clients and pushes back on government overreach. He has taught criminal defense lawyers how to defend digital evidence cases on numerous occasions, and it is a particular interest of his.
Civil Litigation and Personal Injury
Zerillo also represents select clients in serious personal injury cases. He has obtained millions of dollars in settlements and jury verdicts for injured clients but limits the number of these cases he accepts to ensure he has the time and focus each case demands.
In addition, Zerillo has represented individuals and businesses in complex, high-stakes “bet-the-house” business litigation. In recent years, he secured two multimillion-dollar trial verdicts involving disputes between business partners, successfully recovering the value of the businesses in dispute. Each case was heavily contested and tried against skilled opposing counsel, including one attorney who now serves as a judge. Zerillo prevailed in both trials.
Professional Leadership and Recognition
Zerillo is a Life Member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (“NACDL”) and has served two terms on its Board of Directors. He chairs NACDL’s Annual Defending Modern Drug Cases seminar in Las Vegas, Nevada, and also chairs the organization’s Membership Committee and Mental Health Committee. He serves on NACDL’s Decarceration, Voting Rights, and Budget Committees.
He is a Past President of the Maine Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (“MACDL”) and a recipient of MACDL’s President’s Award, given to the attorney who best exemplifies the organization’s values and the highest standards of the profession. Zerillo also serves as Chair of MACDL’s Continuing Legal Education Committee.
In 2023, Zerillo was elected to the American Board of Criminal Lawyers, an invitation-only national honorary society limited to the most accomplished criminal trial lawyers in the United States. Membership requires a minimum of ten years of criminal trial experience and at least fifty trials, including thirty-five felony jury trials. Membership also requires judicial recommendation.
Timothy E. Zerillo is the only lawyer practicing in Maine ever elected to the American Board of Criminal Lawyers.
Teaching, Writing, and Speaking
Zerillo is a frequent national lecturer on criminal defense strategy, including cross-examination, digital evidence, Fourth Amendment litigation, and sentencing advocacy. His recent presentations include:
- Beating a Stacked Deck: Attacking Electronic Evidence in Digital Searches
- Representing Clients in the Cannabis Industry
- Cross-Examining the Medical Expert in Child Sexual Assault Cases
- Songs of Freedom: Making Your Client’s Story Sing at Sentencing
- I Don’t Believe You: Cross-Examining the Alleged Victim in the He Said/She Said Case
In 2022 and 2024, Zerillo was named to NACDL’s “Best of the Best” list of highest-rated speakers, as voted by seminar attendees. He has been invited to speak at NACDL’s 2026 Showcase of the Best of the Bar.
Zerillo is the author of dozens of articles on criminal defense tactics. His book, Defending Specific Crimes, now in its second revision, is published by James Publishing.
Outside the Courtroom
If you have read this far, you may wonder what Zerillo does in his spare time—if he has any. While his practice keeps him busy, he maintains interests outside the law.
Zerillo is a longtime fitness enthusiast and credits his training with keeping him grounded. He is a weightlifter, runner, and cyclist and makes fitness a daily priority.
Like any good Mainer, Zerillo also loves boats. On rare sunny days, you may find him on Sebago Lake aboard his boat—aptly named Knot Guilty.
