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

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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

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...

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...