Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1547555
V O L . X X X I I N O. X X V I N OV E M B E R 1 6 , 2 0 2 6 4 SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER Ken Hanson ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Michelle Phillips EVENTS & MARKETING DIRECTOR Samantha Elliott OPERATIONS AND ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER Allison Spies DIRECTOR OF AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT Leah Allen A division of New England Business Media LLC P R E S I D E N T / C E O Tom Curtin CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Andrea Tetzlaff DIGITAL DIRECTOR Jan Holder CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Mark Jeanneret Carrie Yardley RESEARCH DIRECTOR Stephanie Meagher RESEARCH ASSISTANT Heide Martin ART DIRECTOR Matt Selva HOSPITALITY Buster, Claire, William HOSPITALITY EMERITUS M.J., Malcolm, Zoey PUBLISHER Andrea Tetzlaff EDITOR Peter Van Allen DEPUTY EDITOR Renee Cordes DIGITAL EDITOR Alexis Wells SENIOR WRITER Laurie Schreiber STAFF WRITER Tina Fischer MAINEBIZ IS COMMITTED TO ACCURATE, FAIR AND IMPARTIAL COVERAGE OF BUSINESS NEWS IN THE STATE OF MAINE. Proudly serving Maine for over 50 years 11 Supporting Maine's workforce is an economic imperative 12 Addressing health care costs means considering the impact of every policy 13 A city for all. Homes for a few 14 Connectivity has always been a business issue. Here's what Maine's next leaders should know P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y O F B E R M A N & S I M M O N S C O N T E N T S Courting AI How Maine lawyers are using new tech tools — and steering clear of pitfalls 18 22 Legal grounds Law firms evolve with expansions, renovations, mergers and starts 26 Mixed reception for Maine's paid-leave law A win for employees, a challenge for employers L AW / P O L I C Y F O C U S M A I N E L AW C L A S S O F 2 0 2 9 P RO F I L E O N PA G E 1 7 » B U S I N E S S V O I C E S S P E C I A L A D V E R T I S I N G S E C T I O N Susan Faunce of Berman & Simmons says AI allows lawyers to dedicate more time to aspects of cases that truly matter. At Bernstein Shur's headquarters, a redesigned three-floor interconnecting stairway is encased in wood finishes and cascading walls of illuminated, textured limestone. 18 22 P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY