Biography

Ben practices with the firm's Litigation and Environmental Practice Groups, where he represents clients from individuals to large public and private companies, in state and federal courts and arbitration. When the stakes are high, Ben’s clients trust his sound judgment and rigorous advocacy. Whether litigating a contentious and decades-long environmental case or moving fast to get in front of a client’s problem, Ben is relentless in understanding the business issues underlying the legal dispute.  He has experience with a wide variety of complex litigation, including commercial disputes, environmental and professional liability, and intellectual property claims. Ben has particular focus on representing businesses in environmental cleanup litigation and representing the news media in First Amendment, defamation, privacy, and Freedom of Access/Freedom of Information matters.

Before joining Preti Flaherty, Ben served as law clerk to the Honorable John A. Woodcock, Jr. at the United States District Court, District of Maine. While in law school at the University of Wisconsin Law School, he served as Managing Editor of the Wisconsin International Law Journal.

Ben lives in Falmouth, Maine, with his wife and two sons.

Honors & Recognition

  • Recognized in New England Super Lawyers as a "Rising Star," 2014 - 2020
  • Benchmark Litigation "40 & Under List," 2022-Present

Civic and Charitable Activities

  • Boys and Girls Club of Southern Maine
    • Board of Directors
  • Georgetown University
    • Chairman of the Alumni Admission Program Committee for the State of Maine
  • Dan Cardillo Charitable Fund
    • Board of Directors and Scholarship Selection Committee
  • Leadership Maine, Silver Class, Maine Development Foundation
  • Rippleffect
    • Fundraised, and rappelled down the side of Portland's largest building, in support of 2015 Rappel for Rippleffect campaign

Firm Highlights

Event

Jeff Talbert to Moderate Panel on PFAS Regulatory Action at ABA Toxic Torts & Environmental Law Conference

Jeff Talbert, Chair of Preti Flaherty's Environmental Law Group, will moderate "Regulatory Action: History & Horizon" at the ABA Toxic Torts & Environmental Law Conference. This panel will discuss the 2016 EPA health advisory, the...

Event

Bodie Colwell will be a Featured Panelist at ABI Annual Spring Meeting

Bodie Colwell will be a featured panelist on "Danger Ahead! Avoiding and Addressing Ethical Landmines in Attorney Engagement and Compensation" at the American Bankruptcy Institute's Annual Spring Meeting. The panel focuses on disputes regarding engagement...

Press Coverage

What’s Inside Maine Freight Trains? Public Can Only Hazard a Guess

Due to an exemption from the state's Freedom of Access Act, Maine residents are prevented from reviewing information regarding the transportation through their communities via freight trains of potentially hazardous materials. Rail industry officials...

News

Benchmark Litigation Names Preti Flaherty 2023 “Maine Firm of the Year”

Benchmark Litigation has named Preti Flaherty as 2023 Litigation Firm of the Year in the State of Maine. The Benchmark Awards honor distinguished litigators and law firms in all 50 states and 10 practice...

News

Maine Lawyers and Judges Once Again Show Overwhelming Support of Campaign for Justice

2022 proved to be another challenging year for Mainers. Skyrocketing inflation, an uncertain economic future, an ongoing housing crisis and more factors continue to push more at-risk individuals into a tight spot. Maine’s civil...

Publication

Maine Workers’ Compensation New Year Update 2023

The new year brings proposed legislation, an update to the Medical Fee Schedule, and two recent decisions from the Appellate Division. Proposed Legislation Workers’ compensation bill LD 53 (HP 28) would amend 39-A M.R.S.A...

News

Attorney Jeffrey Thaler Named to 2023 Lawdragon Green 500: Leaders in Energy Law

For the second time, Preti Flaherty attorney Jeffrey Thaler has been recognized by the esteemed legal publication Lawdragon as an elite practitioner in the field of energy law. Jeff is the only Maine-base lawyer...

Press Coverage

Authorities Refuse to Release Records for Maine School Shooter Hoax Calls

On November 15, 2022, multiple law enforcement agencies in Maine received false calls alerting police to active shooter situations at several high schools throughout the state. In the wake of this widespread hoax, the Kennebec...

Publication

Enforcers Make It Easy to Report Cartels

This article was originally published in the American Bar Association  Antitrust Newsletter  on February 8, 2023.  Did you know that global competition enforcers have easy-to-find websites to encourage reporting of anticompetitive conduct? Not only...

Publication

FY2024 H-1B Registration Fact Sheet for Employers

Registration Process To file H-1B petitions subject to the FY2024 cap for an employee, you must first electronically register and pay a $10 fee for each electronic registration. The electronic registration includes basic information about...