Biography

Steve is Chair of the firm's Municipal Law and Finance Group and a senior partner in the Employment Law and Litigation practice groups. During his more than 30 years as an attorney in Preti Flaherty's Augusta office, Steve has evolved from being an accomplished trial and appellate lawyer (more than 25 jury trials as lead counsel and over 50 Law Court arguments) to being one of the preeminent municipal attorneys in the state of Maine and a highly experienced employment law attorney.

For more than 25 years, Steve has assisted cities and towns with the full range of legal matters as general counsel. His clients include the capital city, Augusta, the state's most populous town, Brunswick, and the state's fastest growing town, Windham. In addition to counseling leaders of these large and complex communities, he also has extensive experience as general counsel to industrial "mill towns" and rural, tourist-centered municipalities (such as Rangeley). His municipal work covers the full gamut from attending council and selectmen's meetings, writing ordinances and contracts, land enforcement actions, employment arbitrations, planning board and zoning board hearings, property tax abatements to constitutional litigation.

As an employment lawyer representing businesses and municipalities, Steve has tried numerous jury cases to verdict and has handled hundreds of cases at the Maine Human Rights Commission and in federal and state courts. Those cases include all kinds of discrimination, sexual harassment, whistleblower cases, disability issues and retaliation. He also counsels employers as to how to avoid employment disputes proactively and conducts employee training.

Steve maintains an active litigation practice primarily for business and municipal clients and has handled numerous groundbreaking matters with local and national implications. For example, he successfully defended a conspiracy and anti-SLAPP case brought by Ralph Nader against the Democratic National Committee and John Kerry. He was counsel to the City of Augusta in the Law Court's public sector labor case redefining status quo when collective bargaining agreements expire. He was successful at the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit defending the constitutionality of a parade and mass gathering ordinance. He handled a significant challenge to Maine's medical marijuana laws. He acted as the de facto town manager of the Town of Chelsea when the First Selectman was arrested and later convicted of numerous federal corruption charges. 

He also has an extensive probate litigation background. He has handled will contests, challenges to a personal representative's handling of estates, validity of probate instruments and disputes among beneficiaries. Mr. Langsdorf has practiced in many of Maine's probate courts and successfully defended probate appeals to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court.

Steve was born in Brooklyn, New York, and grew up in the Washington, D.C., area. He joined Preti Flaherty in 1986 and became a partner in 1996. He lives in Hallowell, Maine, with his wife, Jeanne, and has two children, Natasha and Austin.

Professional Activities

  • Maine State Bar Association
  • Kennebec County Bar Association
  • American Bar Association

Civic and Charitable Activities

  • Hallowell Food Bank, Volunteer
  • Aloha Foundation, Circle of Friends member
  • Kennebec Valley Humane Society - pro bono legal advice

Firm Highlights

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...