Raising the Bar

How has your practice evolved from when you started out?

Unlike some people, my practice has actually diversified over time.  I started out at a big law firm just working on insurance litigation and False Claims Act investigations.  Since moving back to NH, I have continued to work on those types of matters, but also began representing clients in a variety of complex commercial litigation matters (primarily construction firms and financial institutions) and before various state agencies.

What skills, talents, or methods do you think help you excel in this field?

If you are calling me, it means something bad has happened.  My job is to help you come up with a solution to the problem.  Sometimes that will involve a negotiated resolution, but sometimes it means that we are going to have engage in full blown litigation and take the case all the way to trial.  I endeavor to provide my clients with a menu of options and provide practical advice (including the potential costs or exposure) about how we can solve their problem(s).  

Where are you most active or visible within your practice area? Is there a specific niche you’re known for?

In the last few years, I have been involved with several pieces of litigation arising from development projects with different municipalities in NH.  These types of matters generally draw a great deal of media interest and one ongoing dispute involved two separate trips to the NH Supreme Court (where my client prevailed in both). 

How would your clients describe you?

Dedicated, responsive, calm, sometimes funny, but always looking out for their best interests in trying to come up with a resolution to their issues.

What do you like best about your practice area?

Learning new things about a particular business or industry or a part of the state or country that I have not yet explored.  A new litigation matter, even if it involves the same legal issues, always involves a new cast of characters, problems, and potential avenues for resolution that makes life interesting.

How do you start your day?

Waking up to the screech of my oldest son’s door and his heavy footsteps on the stairs (sometimes the alarm goes off first).  This is followed by either a 45-minute walk or short workout.  Then breakfast and a quick scan of the newspaper before the morning rush begins. 

When you’re able to sneak in a break during the day, where could you be found?

Playing pickup hoops at the YMCA (pre-COVID), in the middle of the first fairway at the golf course, or coaching one of my three boys in baseball or basketball. 

When it comes to reviewing your own peers, what criteria are important? What makes an attorney stand out?

The lawyers I most admire can distill a complex 200-page complaint or 100-page expert report into a simple digestible explanation of the problem or issue.  It is a skill that I strive to improve on every single day.

Firm Highlights

Publication

Maine Workers’ Compensation Update - November 2023

The following is an overview of developments with respect to proposed legislation as well as new procedures on independent contractor determinations, medical fee schedule updates, and the use of updated Board forms, including medical...

Press Coverage

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

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...

Event

Eric Osterberg Presents Webinar on IP Rights and Infringement With Podcasts and Livestreaming

Eric Osterberg joins a panel of industry experts to present “IP Rights and Infringement With Podcasts and Livestreaming.” The panel focuses on guiding intellectual property counsel on the IP issues that arise when creating...

Press Coverage

Bangor Releases Unredacted Files on Effort to Close Homeless Encampment

Following a five-month effort by local media, represented by attorney Sigmund Schutz, chair of Preti Flaherty's Media Law Practice Group, the City of Bangor finally released unredacted records related to its attempts to close a...

News

Preti Flaherty Ranked Among Best Lawyers 2024 Best Law Firms

Best Lawyers has ranked Preti Flaherty among the Best Law Firms for 2024. To be eligible for ranking, a law firm must have at least one attorney named in the 2024 Best Lawyers in...

News

Remembering Preti Flaherty Founder Robert F. Preti

We at Preti Flaherty are deeply saddened by the passing of one of our founding partners and longtime friend, Robert Preti. Bob was not just a part of our firm; he was a part...

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...

Publication

FRBP 9006 Doesn't Take Vacations

Bodie Colwell of Preti Flaherty’s Creditors' Rights & Bankruptcy Group, has authored the article "FRBP 9006 Doesn't Take Vacations," appearing in the October 2023 issue of the American Bankruptcy Institute's Young & New Members Committee newsletter...

News

Preti Flaherty Welcomes Employment Law Attorney Brooke K. Haley to the Firm

Preti Flaherty is pleased to announce that attorney Brooke K. Haley has joined the firm’s Employment Law Practice Group as a Partner. Brooke will work primarily from the firm’s Portland office. Brooke’s practice centers...