Phillip E. "Phil" Johnson

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...

A straight-shooting, disciplined former naval officer and present-day real estate attorney, Bill gets projects done on budget and on time. Throughout his career, Bill has helped major real estate developers realize large-scale commercial projects in the Greater Portland area and throughout the state of Maine. His skill set includes acquisitions, sales, development projects, entity formation, financing, and leasing. He currently heads up Bernstein Shur’s Massachusetts Real Estate Initiat...

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...

Eben Albert focuses his practice on complex energy regulatory proceedings and litigation before state public utilities commissions including the Maine Public Utilities Commission (MPUC) and other administrative and regulatory bodies, as well as in state and federal courts. Eben has deep experience representing clients in utility ratemaking and rate design proceedings, complex utility reorganizations, requests for approvals, and various other regulatory matters. Prior to his energy practice, E...

Calm under pressure, dependable, and a true advocate for her clients, Mary is an experienced municipal and environmental law counselor. Having worked in the public sector for years before joining Bernstein Shur, she has a firsthand understanding of the issues faced by municipal and state employees and boards—and how to help her clients confront them. Her most recent public sector position was associate corporation counsel to the City of Portland, where she advised the city staff and cou...

Frank is a partner in the Portland, Maine office and practices in three distinct areas. First, Frank assists all types of clients in complying with state and federal consumer financial protection laws related to retail installment sales contracts, secured and unsecured loans and lines of credit, residential mortgages and home equity loans, auto leases, etc., with a focus on compliance with the state uniform consumer credit code ("UCCC"). Frank also assists clients in complying with state and ...

Dick Spencer specializes in complex problems which require effective advocacy at the local and state levels and before administrative agencies, the state courts, and the Maine Legislature. He is among Maine’s leading experts in diverse areas including land use and conservation, municipal law, and public finance. Dick also advises multi-generational families on how best to transfer their Maine seasonal and other properties to the next generation. Dick’s approach to problems is intu...

Steve is a tax attorney who specializes in employee benefits, executive compensation, and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). He works with employers of all stripes—including health care entities, businesses, nonprofits, municipalities, and individuals—on ERISA requirements and liabilities, Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MEPERS) compliance and controversies, as well as the tax and ERISA implications of mergers and acquisitions. In addition, Steve repres...

David C. Pierson is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Construction Law, Litigation - Construction and Litigation - Land Use and Zoning. David C., who practices law in Portland, Maine, has been recognized since 2007. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which David C. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

For nearly 30 years, Alan MacEwan has advised businesses, entrepreneurs and investors on a comprehensive spectrum of corporate matters. Alan focuses on mergers and acquisitions, although he prefers to think of his practice more as “buying and selling companies.” He has successfully negotiated over 100 such transactions ranging from $1 million to $300 million, and combines client-specific expertise with creative problem-solving to deliver on his clients’ transaction objective...