Representative Matters

Environmental

  • Defended medical device company in four-week hazardous waste trial in federal court involving clean-up of mercury in river sediment.
  • Defended $250 million clean-up order at nine-day hearing before Maine Board of Environmental Protection.
  • Defended largest Maine petroleum enforcement action in over 20 years.
  • Defended largest U.S. EPA pesticide enforcement action in Region I.
  • Resolved property damage claims for residential and commercial landowners located on former municipal landfill.
  • Resolved state and federal natural resource damage claims at three former marine oil terminals.
  • Resolved property damage lawsuit by lakefront property owners arising from No. 6 fuel oil spill.
  • Defended environmental consultants in $1 million federal court jury trial against manufacturing company claim of faulty environmental site assessment.
  • Defended environmental engineers in three-week New Hampshire arbitration in $15 million alleged negligent water treatment system design at superfund site.
  • Defended paper company in multi-plaintiff toxic tort lawsuit involving alleged brain cancer cluster.
  • Successful U.S. EPA sole source aquifer petition under the Clean Water Act, Conanicut Island, Rhode Island.
  • Successful contested license transfer for 99MW wind power project in New Hampshire.
  • Successful contested air emission license amendment for paper mill.

Financial and General Litigation

  • Won $13.6 million verdict in civil jury trial in Bangor, Maine for breach of contract to negotiate in good faith on behalf of electric utility.
  • In claim involving elder financial abuse, won a $300,000 verdict in civil jury trial in Portland, Maine for breach of fiduciary duty and defeated counterclaim for $2 million.
  • Won $40 million securities arbitration in Washington, D.C. on behalf of publicly traded company in connection with stock purchase of Maryland manufacturer.
  • Won $419,000 securities arbitration in Boston.
  • Won appeal of award of $50 million contract for wireless emergency communication service.
  • Won appeal of award of $35 million contract for state-wide lottery services.
  • Won securities and probate litigation and arbitration related to mishandling of assets, securities fraud, fiduciary mismanagement, and related matters.
  • Defense and prosecution of numerous high value construction claims.

Media and First Amendment

  • Won dismissal of high-profile defamation claim against radio station and reporters in New Hampshire.
  • Won news media First Amendment challenge to secret jury selection in high profile criminal case in Maine.
  • Won federal summary judgment in favor of eight news media organizations against claims of libel, invasion of privacy, and civil rights violations arising from reporting on alleged unlawful firearms confiscation.
  • Won trials and many precedent setting appeals permitting access to state and federal public records for news media in Maine.
  • Pre-publication review of news articles and broadcasts for news media.
  • Won dismissal of defamation claims against New York Times reporter.
  • Won lawsuit attempting to compel disclosure of identity of author of allegedly defamatory anonymous newsletter.
  • Won dismissal of federal copyright claims against prominent magazine.

Firm Highlights

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

Maine Becomes Seventh State to Enact Uniform Public Expression Protection Act (UPEPA)

Maine is now the latest state to enact the Uniform Public Expression Protection Act (UPEPA)—following New Jersey, Oregon (substantially similar), Utah, Hawaii, Kentucky, and Washington. UPEPA aims to provide a clear framework for the...

News

10 Preti Attorneys, 6 Practice Groups Honored in National Rankings

Ten Preti Flaherty attorneys and six practice groups have been selected by Chambers USA for inclusion in their premiere annual list of America’s leading lawyers. Preti is recognized for excellence in the practice areas...

Publication

Maine Government Contracting and Procurement Update: Public Access Under FOAA to Trade Secrets in Proposals and Bid Documents

Those doing business with state, county, and local government in Maine need to know their way around public records laws. What is the risk that sensitive or proprietary business information submitted in response to...

News

Preti’s Sig Schutz Recognized as Member of NHPR’s Pulitzer-Finalist Team

Preti First Amendment attorney Sig Schutz has been recognized as “a core member of the [NHPR] team” involved in a podcast honored as a Pulitzer Prize finalist in the audio journalism category.  The podcast...