The Firm

Deliberately Different.

We came together because we wanted to build a different kind of law firm. We looked around the legal landscape and saw firms following stuffy traditions and preset rules, staying in the lines and abiding by what they were “supposed” to do. But we envisioned redrawing the lines and setting new precedents, giving clients the kind of creative and forward-thinking law firm that they need.

We’re proud to say that’s exactly what we did. When we opened our doors, we were a small group of litigators, lobbyists and corporate lawyers with big ideas. Today, we have 100 lawyers across New England bringing new approaches and innovative solutions to all major fields of law. And as our communities and culture evolve, so do we. We carve out new areas of law where before none existed.

Some may say we’re a little rebellious, and we’re good with that. Because that’s exactly what the model we had in mind is all about. We set out not to help our clients best conform to the law, but to reshape laws and longstanding conventions and define new solutions and new ways to serve our clients.

What does doing things differently look like? Well, if we bump up against an unreasonable or outdated law, we go to the legislature and get the law changed. If we’re facing restrictive precedents, we craft new arguments and creatively reset the course of a case. If a client has a problem that extends beyond the law, we pair our legal strategy with strategic communications tools to reframe the narrative.

We enjoy what we do, and we can say with confidence that we’re good at what we do. We’ve earned that confidence. And we hope you’ll bring us your business goals so we can help you achieve them and earn your confidence. Together, we can continue to chart a new course.

Deliberate.

“Nostalgia’s supposed to make me say, ‘We had no idea how much we would accomplish, how big we would grow,’ but that’s just not true. We had big aspirations, important goals, and we are now exactly the firm we wanted to be.”

Harold Pachios, Founding Partner
Different.

“We’re about 45 years old—in the law firm world, that’s young. And our approach really embodies the best characteristics of youth. Bold, daring, limitless, not taking no for an answer, fueled by the idea that you can do anything you want to do.”

David Van Slyke, Managing Partner

Firm Highlights

Event

Pachios on the News, with Guest Daniel Brennan

Publication

Municipal Update: Effect of Recent Supreme Court Decision on Sale of Tax Foreclosed Properties

Yesterday, the United States Supreme Court issued its opinion in  Tyler v. Hennepin County, Minnesota  (598 U.S. _____ (2023)). The Supreme Court held that Hennepin County had violated the Fifth Amendment’s takings clause by...

Press Coverage

Oxford Police Chief: Officer Tried to De-escalate Pursuit Before Fatal Crash

Officials from the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office have refused to provide documentation of the department's policy on police chases following the fatal high-speed crash of Nicholas Liebowitz in Gray, Maine, on Friday, April 28, 2023. Chief...

Event

Bodie Colwell joins ethics panel at the Northeast Bankruptcy Conference & Northeast Consumer Forum

An annual conference, this year's Northeast Bankruptcy Conference and Consumer Forum will focus on sophisticated financial scenarios practitioners often face and provide insights on current consumer bankruptcy issues. Preti Flaherty's Bodie Colwell is a...

News

Maine Justice Foundation LGBTQ+ Fund Seeks Applications for 2023 Grants

The Maine Justice Foundation is pleased to announce a round of grants from the LGBTQ+ Fund. The Foundation will accept applications for grants from organizations working to advance awareness and understanding of LGBTQ+ issues...

News

14 Preti Flaherty Attorneys Selected as Chambers USA Leaders in Their Field

Fourteen Preti Flaherty attorneys and six practice groups have been selected for inclusion in the 2023 Chambers USA Guide to America's Leading Lawyers for Business , the highly regarded directory of leading attorneys and...

Publication

H-2B Visa Program Summary

The H-2B classification allows foreign nationals who are citizens of certain named countries, with limited exceptions, to accept temporary non-agricultural employment in the United States, after the employer has obtained temporary labor certification by...

Publication

Post Sackett: What Is the Scope of the Clean Water Act?

The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) rendered a decision in Sackett et ux. v. EPA addressing what Justice Alito referred to as a “nagging question” of what water bodies are covered under...

News

Maine Justice Foundation Opens Applications for the 2023 Access to Justice Tax Credit

The Maine Justice Foundation is pleased to announce that applications for the 2023 Access to Justice Tax Credit Program will open on June 1, 2023. The Foundation will accept applications from eligible attorneys from...

Publication

How Much Permitting "Reform" Comes from the New Debt Ceiling Legislation?

Without fanfare or ceremony, on Saturday June 3 rd , President Biden signed the bitterly-negotiated Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (FRA), also known as the Debt Ceiling Limit legislation. While most of the media...