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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 23 N OV E M B E R 1 3 , 2 0 1 7 at was their introduction to Portland. "And we said, huh, maybe we should consider Portland," she says. Milne researched the legal landscape, whether she could practice the kind of law she'd been practicing in New York, the business culture, the real estate mar- ket. e more they looked at Maine, the more they liked it. "It just really felt like a place where we wanted to live," she says. When she was off ered a job, the com- pensation was an eye-opener. "It meant we had to adjust what houses we were looking at buying, where we wanted to live." But it didn't change their minds about Maine. Ties to Maine e state's largest law fi rms have found that those who, like Milne, are willing to sacrifi ce top salaries to be in Maine are an asset. "We like to see lawyers with roots and ties in Maine, who have gone off and had a lot of experience and bring that back to Maine," says Jeff Talbert, who leads recruiting at Preti Flaherty, Maine's fourth-largest law fi rm. e fi rm gets resumes from all over the country from lawyers who want to come to Maine, from those who are familiar with the state and those who have never been here. "Within that pool, there are a lot of good people who understand the quality of life here," he says. Pierce Atwood's Rand says the lawyers who are here because they want to work in Maine are some of the fi rm's "most successful and valuable lateral hires. " ey have received excellent train- ing and we know they are committed to practicing long term in Maine," she says. "If an associate is prepared to take a substantial cut in pay to move to a smaller market like Maine, you can generally be assured they are doing so because they are looking at the long- term benefi ts of practicing here." She says, too, that private practice in Maine isn't as all-consuming as it is in New York, or other large markets. She says few Maine lawyers work 18-hour days. "We believe our lawyers do higher quality work and live a more satisfying life if the demand on their time is rigor- ous, but not extreme." Law fi rms also do what they can to make the smaller compensation sting less. Michele Pattenaude, director of human resources at Verrill Dana, Maine's second-largest law fi rm, says that fi rm also has "big law refugees" who were looking for a better work-life balance. F O C U S L AW C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E » BANGOR, MAINE • 207.947.4501 • RUDMANWINCHELL.COM Just ask our clients, and they'll agree with Ron. For 100 years, Rudman Winchell has earned the trust and respect of businesses all across the state of Maine. Give us a call and find out what we can do for you. A TRUE STRATEGIC PARTNER FOR YOUR BUSINESS Ron Dennis, Dennis Paper & Food Service: "Rudman Winchell has given us concise and accurate guidance on all of our legal issues. They listen intently and react quickly." "

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