For more information contact:
Lisa Meyer
Marketing & Client Relations Director
Preti Flaherty
lmeyer@preti.com

Preti Flaherty's Michael Messerschmidt, Jonathan Piper and Robert Newton are ranked among America's leading business attorneys.

May 27, 2004 – PORTLAND, ME – Three Preti Flaherty attorneys and two of the firm’s practice groups have been selected for recognition in the Chambers USA Guide to America’s Leading Business Lawyers, the highly regarded legal directory which ranks firms and individual attorneys.

Portland-based attorneys for Preti Flaherty, Michael Messerschmidt, Jonathan Piper and Robert Newton, along with the litigation and employment practice groups, were assessed on qualities including technical legal ability, professional conduct, client service, commercial awareness/astuteness, diligence, commitment, and other qualities most valued by clients. Chambers USA researchers based the rankings on over 5,000 in-depth interviews with leading attorneys and in-house counsel.

“We are proud to achieve this prestigious international recognition for our dedicated work on behalf of our clients,” said Harold Pachios, Preti Flaherty Managing Partner. “The Chambers USA ranking is especially coveted as the nominations are earned by reputation and final selection is made by a rigorous independent review. It cannot be bought for any price.”

Michael G. Messerschmidt practices labor and employment law, advising a broad range of employers public and private sector employers in the fields of health care, forest products, manufacturing, retail, municipal government, transportation and communications. He is chairman of the firm's Labor and Employment Practice Group.

Jonathan Piper currently chairs Preti Flaherty’s 25-member Litigation Group, and previously led the firm for nine years as its Managing Partner. He is well known and respected in the New England legal community, is listed in Woodward-White's The Best Lawyers in America, and is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell.

Robert O. Newton joined Preti Flaherty in 1995 as an associate attorney concentrating in the defense of physician and hospital malpractice and product liability cases. He became of counsel to the firm in 1996 and a Member in 1998.

Preti Flaherty has offices in Portland, Bath and Augusta, Maine, and Concord, NH. With more than 70 attorneys, the firm counsels clients in the areas of business law, energy, environmental, estate planning, health care, intellectual property, labor and employment, legislative and regulatory, litigation, technology and telecommunications. More about the firm can be found on its Web site: www.preti.com.