Preti Flaherty’s International Law group crosses national borders with extensive knowledge of international politics, business and law. Our group has been at the forefront of many significant matters, including international clients applying for U.S. Trademark registration, U.S. purchasers seeking contracts overseas, international trade agreements, and industry deregulations that open markets up to national and international competition. We represent foreign clients with business in the U.S. as well as domestic clients with business in countries spanning the globe. All our clients benefit from the skill and resources our team brings from across the practice areas of business, tax, energy, intellectual property, litigation, and legislation. We provide counsel on a range of international commerce matters including:

  • Cross-border commercial transactions
  • Energy projects
  • Strategic alliances
  • Joint ventures
  • Franchising
  • Litigation
  • Import and export issues
  • Intellectual property rights
  • Development of new markets

A world-renowned team

Our team of internationally-respected attorneys is led by Harold C. Pachios, Chairman of the United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy, and Severin M. Beliveau, Honorary Consul of France for Maine and President of the Forum Francophone des Affaires. Other reputable members of Preti Flaherty’s team include Jonathan Piper, former Chair of the Litigation Group, who has had considerable success in conducting international arbitration or litigation for clients from Ireland, Chile and England; Gregory P. Hansel, who has over two decades of experience representing domestic and overseas business clients in global litigation with an emphasis on antitrust and competition law, international arbitration, securities and international trade; Simon Leeming, who’s a native of New Zealand and serves as New Zealand’s Honorary Consul to the six New England states; and Timothy Bryant, who has counseled clients with projects in Russia, Argentina and Dubai.

Our International Law Practice has been recognized by Northeast Export Magazine as one of the largest in New England, and we are active members of Terralex, a global network of independent law firms with members in more than 100 countries.

Firm Highlights

Publication

How to navigate the legal side of nondisclosure agreements

Preti Flaherty attorney Kristy Abraham has authored an article for  MaineBiz  on navigating the legal side of nondisclosure agreements (NDAs), outlining six questions for organizations to review before entering into a NDA.

Publication

Maine Law Amended to Require More Details When Public Employees Disciplined

Governor Mills recently signed a bill amending the public disclosure requirements for public employees who have been disciplined. Although widely reported as applying to police misconduct, the law applies to all government employees. The...

News

Preti Flaherty Litigation Practice Group Adds Four New Attorneys

Preti Flaherty is pleased to announce the addition of four experienced Associates to the firm’s Litigation Practice Group: Stephen Garvey, Michael Hanify, Hanna May, and Tiffany Ottenga. Stephen Garvey is a graduate of Boston...

Press Coverage

Maine Media Organizations Oppose Foreign Electioneering Ban

Question 2 on Maine’s November ballot asserts that corporations owned or controlled by foreign governments do not have the same rights to political speech as companies here in the U.S. and that foreign governments should be prohibited...

Publication

Municipal Update: Maine Legislature Acts to Clarify Sales of Tax-Acquired Properties

Early this week, in response to the  United States Supreme Court’s recent decision in  Tyler v. Hennepin County, Minnesota  (598 U.S. (2023)) , the Maine Legislature passed emergency legislation establishing a new process for...

News

Jeffrey Talbert Named to American College of Environmental Lawyers

Jeffrey Talbert, Chair of Preti Flaherty’s Environmental Law Group, has been invited to become a Fellow in the distinguished American College of Environmental Lawyers (ACOEL). Membership in the premiere association of environmental lawyers is by...

News

Matt Warner Named to Cannabis Law Journal Global Top 200 Cannabis Lawyers 2023

Preti Flaherty attorney and Cannabis Business Group member Matt Warner has been named to the list of Global Top 200 Cannabis Lawyers for 2023-2024. A joint publication of  Cannabis Law Report and  Cannabis Law...

Press Coverage

Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting Wins Public Records Dispute with York County Jail

Publication

Schutz and Harriman Author Article for MLRC on Mill's Veto of Constitutionally Fraught Legislation

In an article for the Media Law Resource Center's July 2023 Media Law Letter,  Preti Flaherty attorneys Sig Schutz and Alex Harriman explore Gov. Janet Mills' recent veto of L.D. 1610, “An Act to Prohibit Campaign Spending...

Event

2023 Maine Employment Law Summit

For nearly 30 years, Preti Flaherty's Employment Law team has provided Maine employers with practical guidance and best practices at our annual Employment Law Summit. Join us  Thursday, October 5  for the 2023 Employment...