Biography

Sara is a member of the firm's Real Estate and Finance and Corporate and M&A practice groups. Her practice involves business transactions, including entity formations, mergers and acquisitions, commercial finance, and general commercial law and contract issues. She provides across-the-board counseling for businesses, from start-up advice, capital raises, and debt financing to acquisition, growth, and sale of the company. 

Sara works with clients in banking and health care, and advises clients in the rapidly evolving cannabis industry.  Her experience with complex and nuanced transactions has led to a focus on highly regulated industries and the distinct business challenges they face as they grow and change. Her clients appreciate her pragmatic guidance in navigating their regulatory challenges. Whether wrangling with new and unclear legal issues, or facing difficult and obstructive opposing counsel, Sara’s rational, patient approach defuses emotions and arrives at solutions.

Sara has extensive experience counseling financial institutions in connection with secured and unsecured lending.  She has developed particular insight and skill in Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), and regularly advises clients and colleagues on security interests in personal property.  Sara is also adept at commercial mortgage lending. 

Prior to joining Preti Flaherty, Sara practiced at a law firm in Maine for nine years.

Sara lives in Cumberland with her family.

Professional Activities

  • Cumberland Bar Association, past president

Honors & Recognition

  • Super Lawyers New England Rising Star for seven consecutive years, including 2020

Civic and Charitable Activities

  • City of Portland Zoning Board of Appeals, past chair
  • Maine Community Foundation, Cumberland County Fund, past chair

Firm Highlights

Publication

131st Maine Legislature End of Session Update

The First Regular Session of the 131st Legislature was expected to end on June 15th or soon after. Instead, the First Regular Session ended on March 30th, and the Governor signed the “continuing services&rdquo...

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...

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...

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

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...

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...

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...

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...

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.