Related Content
Areas
News
Schools
- Cornell University Law School
, J.D., 1997
- Colby College
, B.A., 1994 (Cum Laude)
Admissions
Maine; New Hampshire; New York; United States District Court for the Districts of Maine and New Hampshire; United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit; United States Supreme Court.
Sigmund D. Schutz
Partner
|
| Practice Focus: | Environmental, Litigation, Trusts & Estates, Media Law |
| Office: |
Portland, ME
|
| Phone: | 207.791.3000 |
| Fax: | 207.791.3111 |
| Email: | sschutz@preti.com |
| vCard: | Download Sigmund's vCard
|
Sigmund D. Schutz maintains a practice focus on probate, trusts, estates, and securities litigation as well as environmental law, media law, and business litigation. Sig has more than a dozen reported judicial decisions to his credit, and has been primary counsel in over 20 contested hearings, including jury trials in state and federal court, multi-week arbitrations, and hearings before state and municipal administrative bodies.
Sig provides proactive advice to anticipate and avoid disputes and, when necessary, to vigorously prosecute or defend claims involving the full range of contested probate, trusts, and estates matters. Sig's probate, trusts and estates litigation experience includes the following:
- On behalf of the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals, proved that the personal representative of a trust had taken excessive fees and expenses, reducing the decedent's bequest to the Society. We won a court order, after trial, surcharging the personal representative, and convinced the Maine Supreme Judicial Court to affirm the order on appeal.
- Represented the co-beneficiary of a trust containing real estate, won a court order, after trial, appointing a professional trustee to manage the trust, sell the real estate, and divide the assets in a fair and acceptable manner.
- Having been unable to resolve his concerns over the proposed sale of a corporation owned by a family trust, our client – a beneficiary of the trust – turned to us for assistance in negotiating and structuring the sale on acceptable terms. We avoided potentially protracted and difficult family litigation and settled the matter on satisfactory terms at mediation.
- Our client, the personal representative and beneficiary of an estate, was accused of not timely closing the Estate and allowing one of the beneficiaries to benefit from real estate to the exclusion of others while the estate remained open. We settled the claim on satisfactory terms at mediation.
Sig is listed in Best Lawyers in America and as a "Rising Star" in Super Lawyers New England. In 2009, Sig is a Fellow of the Maine Bar Foundation and the Litigation Counsel of America, an invitation-only trial lawyer honorary society. Sig has published book chapters or articles with the Maine Law Review, the Maine Bar Journal, the Media Law Resource Center, and the Reporters' Committee for the Freedom of the Press. A frequent speaker, Sig has presented to the annual meetings of the Maine State Bar Association and the Maine Press Association.
Civic Involvement
Member of the Board of Portland Ovations (2008 - Present).
Chair of the Board of the Southern Maine Chapter of the American Red Cross (2004-2006).
Clerk of the Maine Freedom of Information Coalition (http://www.mfoic.org/) (2003-Present).
Member of the Environmental Technology Board of the Maine Technology Institute (http://www.mainetechnology.org/) (2000-2006).
Member of the Environmental Technology Council of Maine (2006 - Present).
Member of the Maine, New Hampshire, New York and American Bar Associations.
Representative Matters
Environmental
Environmental
Defend largest pesticides enforcement matter in U.S. EPA Region I.
Defend largest pesticides enforcement matter in U.S. EPA Region I.
Defend $250 million Maine DEP Uncontrolled Hazardous Substances Site Act Compliance Order at former Holtrachem site.
Defend $250 million Maine DEP Uncontrolled Hazardous Substances Site Act Compliance Order at former Holtrachem site.
Resolve $1.2 million property damage claims against municipality for residential and commercial landowners located on top of former municipal landfill.
Resolve $1.2 million property damage claims against municipality for residential and commercial landowners located on top of former municipal landfill.
Resolve property damage claims by lakefront property owners arising from large No. 6 oil spill into Maine lake.
Resolve property damage claims by lakefront property owners arising from large No. 6 oil spill into Maine lake.
File with the U.S. EPA successful sole source aquifer petition under the Clean Water Act for Conanicut Island in Rhode Island.
File with the U.S. EPA successful sole source aquifer petition under the Clean Water Act for Conanicut Island in Rhode Island.
Defend environmental consultants in $1 million federal court jury trial against a manufacturing company claiming that faulty environmental site assessment missed hazardous waste discharges.
Defend environmental consultants in $1 million federal court jury trial against a manufacturing company claiming that faulty environmental site assessment missed hazardous waste discharges.
Defend environmental engineers in a 3 week arbitration in New Hampshire alleging $15 million negligent design of water treatment system.
Defend environmental engineers in a 3 week arbitration in New Hampshire alleging $15 million negligent design of water treatment system.
Defend paper company in multi-plaintiff toxic tort lawsuit involving alleged brain cancer cluster.
Defend paper company in multi-plaintiff toxic tort lawsuit involving alleged brain cancer cluster.
Won $40 million securities arbitration in Washington, D.C. on behalf of Kingspan Group plc in connection with stock purchase of Maryland manufacturer.
Won $40 million securities arbitration in Washington, D.C. on behalf of Kingspan Group plc in connection with stock purchase of Maryland manufacturer.
Counsel to beneficiaries and executors/personal representatives in securities and probate litigation and arbitration related to mishandling of assets, securities fraud, and related matters.
Counsel to beneficiaries and executors/personal representatives in securities and probate litigation and arbitration related to mishandling of assets, securities fraud, and related matters.
Represent owners and contractors in construction litigation and arbitration.
Represent owners and contractors in construction litigation and arbitration.
Won $419,000 securities arbitration in Boston against Morgan Stanley DW, Inc.
Won $419,000 securities arbitration in Boston against Morgan Stanley DW, Inc.
Won summary judgment in favor of eight media organizations against claims of libel, invasion of privacy and violation of civil rights in federal court arising from reporting on alleged unlawful confiscation of firearms from individual's home.
Won summary judgment in favor of eight media organizations against claims of libel, invasion of privacy and violation of civil rights in federal court arising from reporting on alleged unlawful confiscation of firearms from individual's home.
Won access to state and federal public records for media organizations after trial and appeal.
Won access to state and federal public records for media organizations after trial and appeal.
Pre-publication review of newspaper articles, features, and broadcasts for news organizations.
Pre-publication review of newspaper articles, features, and broadcasts for news organizations.
Won dismissal of claims against New York Times reporter accused of defamation by celebrity chef.
Won dismissal of claims against New York Times reporter accused of defamation by celebrity chef.
Other Bios:
Climate Strategy Bio
,
General Bio
Schutz, Sigmund, Sig
Sigmund D. Schutz is a Partner in the Portland, ME office. He practices environmental law and civil litigation.
Nickname: Sig