Ben, a native of Wisconsin, has practiced law in Maine since 1986. He first came to Maine to attend Bowdoin College, graduating in 1980, magna cum laude, with a degree in biochemistry. He graduated from Northeastern University School of Law in 1986. While at Northeastern, he chaired the Equal Justice Foundation, an organization dedicated to making the justice system accessible to traditionally under represented segments of society, and co-founded a public interest law fellowship funded by alumni.
His attachment to the state brought him back to Maine following law school. He worked for the Portland law firm of Bornstein & Hovermale for eight years, representing clients in workers' compensation, personal injury, and social security disability cases as well as a significant number of pro bono clients.
In 1995, Ben co-founded Kaplan & Grant, where he specializes in workers' compensation and social security disability cases. He is committed to giving every client the personal attention they deserve. Ben also has a long history of providing legal assistance to low-income clients through the Volunteer Lawyers Project. He has received the Maine Bar Foundation's Pro Bono Award, given to the attorney who takes the most pro bono cases in a year, for 14 of the past 38 years. Over the years, he has represented over 300 clients in landlord/tenant and unemployment compensation cases.
Ben is a member of the Maine State Bar Association and Maine Trial Lawyers Association. He is admitted to practice before the state and federal courts of Maine. Ben and his wife, Caroline Eliot, have two sons, Elias and Caleb, as well as a flock of chickens and several beehives. Ben spends his spare time cutting firewood to heat their home, and woodworking.