Biography

Matt is an attorney in the firm's Employment Law, Litigation and Immigration Groups. His practice is equally divided between management-side labor and employment litigation and compliance counseling, where he represents a full range of clients in matters encompassing wrongful termination claims, labor disputes, workplace harassment and discrimination claims, wage and hour compliance and OSHA compliance.

For more than 20 years, Matt has represented clients in numerous industries, including the retail, health care, publishing, energy, manufacturing and telecommunications sectors. His clients include not only firms located in Maine, but throughout northern New England and Atlantic Canada. He frequently draws upon his varied professional experience to counsel clients in ways to avoid litigation or to effectively manage risks associated with their workforce management practices.

Matt also manages the firm's growing visa processing and business immigration practice, which specializes in H, L and TN nonimmigrant visa filings and PRA applications for 1st preference priority workers (including transnational executives), 2nd preference and 3rd preference professional and skilled workers requiring labor certifications.

Matt and his wife Mary C. Hartman, and their three sons, live on Cousins Island, in Yarmouth, Maine.

Professional Activities

  • American Bar Association
    • Section of Labor & Employment
  • Maine State Bar Association
  • New Hampshire Bar Association
  • Maine Chapter of the Labor Employment Relations Association (LERA), Maine Chapter
  • American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA)
  • Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)

Civic and Charitable Activities

  • Rippleffect, Board of Directors, former Executive Committee Member
  • Children's Theatre of Maine, former Board member
  • City of Portland Civil Service Commission, former Chair

Firm Highlights

News

Attorney Jeffrey Thaler Named to 2024 Lawdragon Green 500: Leaders in Energy Law

Preti Flaherty’s attorney Jeffrey Thaler has been recognized by  Lawdragon  as one of the top 500 Leaders in Energy Law. This is Jeff’s third time named to this prestigious list since the first publication...

Publication

Failure to Follow Your Contract's Notice Requirements Can be Costly

In Kinetic Systems, Inc. v. IPS-Integrated Projects Services, LLC et. al., No.: 20-cv-1125 (D.N.H. February 6, 2024), the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire granted summary judgment for a general contractor...

News

David Van Slyke Named to 2024 Lawdragon Green 500: Leaders in Environmental Law

Preti Flaherty’s Managing Partner David Van Slyke has been recognized by Lawdragon as one of the top 500 environmental lawyers in the U.S. It’s the third time he has been named to this prestigious...

Publication

USCIS Announces H-1B Registration Period for FY2025: New “Beneficiary Centric” Registration Process and Increased Fees

USCIS has recently announced a series of changes that will impact the FY2025 H-1B registration system and cap filing season. H-1B Registration Period and Organizational Accounts As in prior years, under this process, prospective petitioners...

Event

Sigmund Schutz to moderate panel at 36th Annual Media and the Law Seminar: Under Attack! Existential Threats to Journalism and Free Speech

From unlawful searches and seizures of newsrooms and highly contentious litigation to physical harassment and calls for violence online, journalists and news organizations are under attack like never before. At the 36 th Annual...

Publication

Helping Employers Navigate the New Independent Contractor Rule and Compliance Challenges

On March 11 th , the United States Department of Labor’s (DOL) new Independent Contractor Rule goes into effect.  As your organization readies itself for compliance, it’s imperative to scrutinize your independent contractor classifications...

News

Benchmark Litigation Names Preti Flaherty 2024 “Maine Firm of the Year"

Benchmark Litigation has named Preti Flaherty as 2024 Litigation Firm of the Year in the State of Maine. Through extensive peer- and- client reviewed research, as well as analysis of casework; the Benchmark Awards...

News

Preti Flaherty Welcomes Trust and Estate Attorney Elise Salek to the Firm

Preti Flaherty is pleased to announce that Elise Salek has joined the firm’s Trusts & Estates Practice Group. Practicing out of the firm’s Concord, New Hampshire office, Elise brings nearly three decades of experience...

Publication

November 7, 2023 Election Results

Maine’s November 2023 statewide elections were exclusively referendum questions, four were citizen initiatives, and four were proposed amendments to the Maine Constitution. Of these, Questions 5, 7 and 8 were placed on the ballot...

Event

Accessing Police Misconduct Records

Preti’s Sigmund Schutz will be one of the Maine panelists in New England First Amendment Coalition’s Accessing Police Misconduct Records series. This series continues NEFAC’s freedom of information lessons and builds on the information...