James C. "Jim" Palmer

Asha’s specialty is dispute resolution involving construction, energy, insurance, and banking claims. In addition to being an attorney, Asha is a licensed professional engineer, with LEED accreditation and years of experience designing and coordinating multi-million dollar projects as a civil engineer with Parsons Brinckerhoff. Her firsthand experience with the ins and outs of construction, and energy projects makes her an especially effective advocate in litigation matters and contract...

Ryan Kelley provides legal counsel to public and private companies regarding debt and equity financings, commercial transactions and bankruptcy and creditors’ rights matters. Ryan represents both lenders and borrowers in construction, acquisition, new markets tax credits, term and working capital financing transactions. His transactional experience also includes commercial matters such as the representation of franchisors and franchisees with respect to franchise matters, of manufacture...

Jonathan Shapiro has extensive experience in employment, labor and employee benefits law and litigation. He represents employers before state and federal courts across the country in complex wage-and hour class and collective actions and cases that involve discrimination, retaliation, wrongful termination and other employment matters. Jonathan has defended executives in white-collar criminal investigations and litigation. In addition, he counsels employers on various issues concerning employm...

Melissa Hewey is an accomplished litigator with substantial experience across a broad range of practice areas, including insurance defense, school law, higher education law, employment matters, and complex commercial litigation. Melissa has represented a diverse set of clients, such as insurance companies, schools, colleges and universities, municipalities, law firms, hospitals, individuals, and businesses in a variety of industries. Melissa has tried a wide range of cases and argued signific...

Charles M. Katz-Leavy is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Land Use and Zoning Law and Real Estate Law. Charles M., who practices law in Portland, Maine, has been recognized since 2018. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Charles M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Peg Smith handles all aspects of commercial acquisitions, dispositions, development, leasing, title review and analysis, with particular expertise in drafting and analyzing conservation easements. She represents timberland companies, commercial developers, nonprofit organizations, and individual clients with respect to their various real estate needs, and regularly assists energy companies with real estate matters related to solar development, hydroelectric facilities, and transmission corrid...

Jennifer Riggle is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Health Care Law. Jennifer, who practices law in Portland, Maine, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Jennifer is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Sam Anderson is a shareholder, co-chair of the firm’s Business Restructuring and Insolvency Practice Group and member of the firm’s Board of Directors. Sam’s practice focuses primarily on representing businesses in chapter 11 reorganization proceedings, including recent cases before the Bankruptcy Courts for the Districts of Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine. Sam has a wide range of experience in representing businesses in chapter 11 proceedings, inclu...

As co-chair of Pierce Atwood’s energy infrastructure group, and a member of Pierce Atwood’s tax and business practice groups, Kris Eimicke has a unique blend of technical expertise and business experience. Kris focuses on complex business transactions, with a particular emphasis on highly structured financing transactions that utilize one or more tax credit and economic development programs, including renewable energy tax credits, the opportunity zone incentive, new markets tax cr...

Christopher E. Howard, partner in the Business Group, serves on the firm's Management Committee and is the former head of its Business Practice Group. Chris has a unique combination of technical legal skills and hands-on business and finance experience, which enables him to integrate these disciplines into strategies that match client objectives and provide clients with a competitive advantage. Chris's practice has three main areas of focus: Corporate finance and transactional representation ...