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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 19 N OV E M B E R 1 8 , 2 0 2 4 F O C U S L AW / P O L I C Y perspectives and allows the partners to serve cli- ents at the firm for many years to come. "Hannah King, Chad Higgins, Kevan Lee Deckelmann and myself here in Portland," he says. "We are all partners under the age of 50." As law firms begin to see more lawyers move toward retirement, law- yers from younger gen- erations now have more opportunities to lead. "e transition to retirement by these veteran law- yers is lining up with the time in the careers of Gen X and millennial lawyers when they are ready to step into leadership roles," says Helman. "Lawyers who have practiced for 10 to 20 years have a lot of great expe- rience to lean on and also have decades left to continue to grow their careers." Over the last 10 years, the law firm has been more intentional about providing leadership opportuni- ties for younger lawyers across the office. Dentons has been seeking talent to assist the team and serve its cli- ents wherever needed, whether here in Maine, across the U.S., or across the globe. Each year, the firm welcomes entry-level associates who have just graduated from law school and are sworn into their respective bars. It also brings on young later- als — those who have been practicing for a handful of years — as well as more seasoned lawyers. "It is important to have the right mix of law- yers to meet the needs of clients," says Helman. "At Dentons, we value diversity on our teams, including diversity in age. We know that our clients benefit from working with a team that is made up of people from different backgrounds and who have lived dif- ferent experiences." Hiring for the future At Preti Flaherty, the firm has been engaging in a measured, orderly intergenerational transition process that has seen many firm management responsibilities, decisions and key client relationships transitioned to a newer generation of partners. Michael Smith, 42, who took over as managing part- ner in July, says his transition was possible due to the critical mass of relatively young, ambitious and increas- ingly successful partners. On the other hand, the firm had senior partners who were proud of the firm they had built and wanted to see it continue to thrive. "Everyone had the same goal and that allowed us to work together across generations to make a successful transition happen," says Smith. "Firms that aren't build- ing for the future and ensuring that younger attorneys know that they belong and that their views about firm management are valued are likely to have real difficulty in meeting the shifting needs and demands of the broader business and legal climate." Smith says at Preti, they are hiring for "now" and for the future — it is willing to invest in someone at an earlier stage of their career who shows great promise. SALES@WAREBUTLER.COM Ware-Butler will supply products to earthwork and concrete jobs, roads/ bridges/construction jobs, grow businesses, storage units, livestock farms, health centers and commercial buildings of all types, infrastructure projects such as sand-salt sheds and municipal buildings, etc. WAREBUTLER.COM CONTACT US for your non-residential and commercial construction needs statewide in Maine. Put our statewide buying power and experienced sales team to work for you! Fabric / Pipe / Culverts / Styrofoam insulation / Construction lumber Sheet goods / Millwork / Metal roofing and siding products PRODUCTS OFFERED: AND MORE! C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E » P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y O F D E N T O N S Andrew Helman is the office managing partner of Dentons Bingham Greenebaum, a law firm with offices in nearly 100 countries.

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