Biography

Ken practices in the firm's Boston, Massachusetts and Concord, New Hampshire offices and co-chairs the firm's Construction Law group. For more than 20 years, Ken has represented developers, owners, lenders, architects, engineers, general contractors, construction managers, specialty contractors, subcontractors, material suppliers, sureties, and insurers in negotiating contracts and resolving disputes involving public and private construction projects. 

Ken has assisted clients in matters involving hospital, governmental, multi-family, condominium, retail, restaurants, hotels, office, low income housing, parking garage, museum, laboratory and biotech, automation, public and private school K-12, university, athletic fields and buildings, power, wastewater, environmental remediation, and other projects. Ken is a member of the American Arbitration Association’s panel of construction arbitrators and an adjunct professor at Boston University School of Law. Prior to becoming a construction attorney, Ken worked for his family’s Manhattan, NY construction management and cost estimating firm, and for “Big 6” accounting firm, Arthur Andersen.

Professional Activities

Ken is a member of the American Arbitration Association's Panel of Construction Arbitrators and was one of the founding co-chairs of the Construction Law Committee of the Massachusetts Bar Association. Additionally, Ken is the co-chair of the Boston Bar Association Construction Law Committee, and the chair of the programming committee for the Associated General Contractors of Massachusetts. Ken is also a member of the Massachusetts Bar Association Civil Litigation Section Council, the Boston University School of Law Alumni Executive Committee, the adjunct faculty at the Boston University School of Law, and the programming committee for the Associated Builders & Contractors of New Hampshire and Vermont. Ken assisted the Associated General Contractors of New Hampshire in drafting and supporting the organization's proposed legislation to overhaul New Hampshire's mechanics lien law.

Ken has chaired or presented programs for the ENR Risk & Compliance Summit, the Construction SuperConference, the American Council of Engineering Companies (Annual Conference and Fall Convention), Build Boston, Architecture Boston Expo, the Professional Liability Underwriting Society (Annual International Conference), the Associated General Contractors of Massachusetts, the Associated General Contractors of New Hampshire, Associated Builders and Contractor of New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bar Association, Suffolk University Law School, National Business Institute, Sterling Educational Services, Half Moon Seminars, and Lorman Seminars.

Honors & Recognition

Ken has received regional and national awards for his work representing construction companies and financial professionals. Ken was named one of the nation's Top 75 Most Influential Professionals in the Collection Industry by The Collector Magazine (the official publication of the Association of Credit and Collection Professionals), and has been listed in SuperLawyers. Ken has been listed in Best Lawyers in America every year since 2015, including being named “Lawyer of the Year” for Construction Law in 2016.

Earlier in Ken's career, he was selected as one of Engineering News-Record's (ENR) Top Construction Professionals Under 40 in New England, and one of 15 "Up & Coming Lawyers" by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly.

Firm Highlights

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

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

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

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...