Services

Employment Law

Compliance with employment laws can be one of the most pressing concerns for any organization, whether you are a new business hiring its first employee or a large employer facing a major down-sizing.

Our commitment is to provide prompt and strategic advice delivered in clear and declarative language. Clients want advice to act on, not a legal treatise. Lawsuits by disgruntled employees and former employees are a constant threat to employers. We work to minimize the risks of a lawsuit being filed through preventative measures such as policy development, training, and HR audits, and also by timely counsel when a client is making an important personnel decisions.

Art print of a boat on calm water, hanging on a light gray wall.

“These are hands-on lawyers who understand our industry and how our company operates. They bring intelligence, integrity, and innovation to their representation of L.L. Bean.”

Leon A. Gorman

L.L. Bean President (1967-2001), Chairman (2001-2013), Chairman Emeritus (2013-2015)

We help management make sense of the myriad labor and employment laws, regulations, and court decisions and offer practical advice tailored to client business needs.

Get In Touch

Where We Excel

Day-to-Day Advice & Counsel

Brann & Isaacson advises employers in all areas of day-to-day employee relations matters. Our clients want a partner who can respond in minutes to the unexpected personnel matter that calls for legal advice.

Clients turn to us for advice on terminations—whether an individual or a mass layoff. We steer clients through investigations, termination assessments, termination letters, WARN Act and severance pay notices, unemployment, references, confidentiality, severance, and COBRA. We draft separation agreements.

On wage and hour matters, we advise on exempt/non-exempt status, overtime, minimum wage, independent contractor status, FLSA, and a host of related compliance issues.

We counsel employers about workplace safety and OSHA compliance, and we defend enforcement actions.  

Labor-Management Relations

B&I works with both public and private sector employers in the negotiation of collective bargaining agreements and contract administration. In the event of a dispute, we handle arbitrations and unfair labor practice proceedings before the NLRB and state labor relation agencies.

Employment Investigations & Litigation

B&I regularly serves as special outside counsel in high profile, sensitive,internal investigations. We also support our clients with their own internal employee investigations. We have a skilled Title IX investigator who works closely with our educational clients in public schools and colleges.

In the event of a lawsuit, we provide seasoned trial counsel. We vigorously defend employers before state agencies, the EEOC, and federal and state courts in wrongful discharge, wage and hour, harassment, and discrimination claims, including claims based on Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, FLSA, FMLA, COBRA, WARN Act, ADEA, ADA, EPA, and OWBPA. 

Employment Matters & Labor

B&I attorneys draft and review employment policies and employee handbooks, and keep clients informed of emerging developments through newsletters, alerts, and seminars.

Our training programs include workshops on performance management and termination, performance evaluation, workplace harassment and discrimination, managing leaves of absence and attendance, and interviewing and hiring.    

Conferences, Workshops & Publications

B&I lawyers share their knowledge and expertise throughout the year as regular speakers at employment and HR conferences and workshops, including: The Maine HR Conference, Samoset; Annual Employment Law Update, Central Maine Human Resources Association; Maine Rural Water Association Annual Conference; Maine School Management Annual Conference; and the L.L. Bean In-House HR Law Training.

Our Employment Law Team

Primary Contacts

Peter Lowe

Email: plowe@brannlaw.com

Phone: 207.786.3566

Daniel Stockford

Email: dstockford@brannlaw.com

Phone: 207.786.3566

  • Nathaniel Bessey

    Nathaniel Bessey

    Partner

  • Lynn Gelinas

    Lynn Gelinas

    Counsel

  • Eamonn Hart

    Eamonn Hart

    Partner

  • Peter Lowe

    Peter Lowe

    Partner

  • Daniel Stockford

    Daniel Stockford

    Partner

  • Hannah Wurgaft

    Hanna Wurgaft

    Partner

Recent News

  • Employment Law Webinar Series
    • Events

    September 22, 2026 at 12PM ET Peter and Dave are back after a summer break…

  • Earned Paid Leave is Back on Employers’ Radar
    • Client Alerts

    If your organization’s Earned Paid Leave (EPL) policy has not been reviewed recently, now may…

  • New Sexual Harassment Training Resource for Maine Employers
    • Client Alerts

    Peter Lowe recently participated in a panel convened by the Maine Human Rights Commission and…

View All News

Case Studies

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.

View Case Studies

Recent
Cases

  • Former Price Promotions, Current Legal Risk

    Former price promotions, you say? Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose. This isn’t just a quote from Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr or a line from Circumstances by Rush. It’s also a fitting description of the risks associated with California’s thorny and potentially unconstitutional Business & Professions Code § 17501. The combination of this statute and avaricious lawyers is…

  • Employment Law Webinar Series

    September 22, 2026 at 12PM ET Peter and Dave are back after a summer break and ready to continue their complimentary Employment Law Webinar Series. Join Peter Lowe of Brann & Isaacson and David Ciullo of Career Management Associates on Tuesday, September 22 at 12:00 PM for the next installment in this popular series, where they’ll discuss the latest developments and…

  • B&I University: The Latest Developments on Packaging EPR Programs

    Are you in compliance with new packaging regulations? Customer see a package. Regulators see obligations. Join Jamie Szal for a follow-up webinar on the hot topic of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Programs.  If your business manufactures, sells or imports packaged goods, these regulations could impact you.   This program will focus on the packaging EPR…

  • Brann & Isaacson Ranked by Chambers High Net Worth Guide for Private Wealth Law

    Brann & Isaacson has been ranked in the 2026 Chambers High Net Worth Guide for its Private Wealth Law practice in Maine, underscoring the firm’s reputation as one of the state’s leading private wealth practices. The firm advises individuals, families and closely held businesses on sophisticated estate planning, trust and estate administration, tax planning and…

  • Tax Notes State: Extraterritoriality and the Internet — In the State Tax Event Horizon

    On August 17, David Swetnam-Burland authored the latest installment of his Eyes on E-Commerce column for Tax Notes State, titled “Extraterritoriality and the Internet: In the State Tax Event Horizon.” States and localities are increasingly taxing online business activity that occurs entirely outside their borders — from Colorado home-rule cities to income tax theories based…

  • Earned Paid Leave is Back on Employers’ Radar

    If your organization’s Earned Paid Leave (EPL) policy has not been reviewed recently, now may be the time. A recent change to the Maine law and a new Maine Department of Labor interpretation, could affect how employers track leave and may require policy updates. Read our latest alert for a summary of the changes and…

  • California’s Upcoming Mandatory Cybersecurity Audit Requirements

    California – typically at the vanguard in consumer privacy law – will soon be launching a cybersecurity audit requirement for businesses whose processing of personal information presents “significant risk” to consumers’ security. Click here to view or download the full client alert.

  • Brann & Isaacson Attorneys Earn National Recognition in The Best Lawyers in America® 2027

    Brann & Isaacson (B&I), a Maine-based boutique law firm with offices in Lewiston, Portland and Dover-Foxcroft, is pleased to announce that its attorneys have been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2027 Edition and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America 2027. The honors come during a period of continued growth for Brann &…

  • New Sexual Harassment Training Resource for Maine Employers

    Peter Lowe recently participated in a panel convened by the Maine Human Rights Commission and the Maine Department of Labor to develop a sexual harassment prevention training video for Maine employers and employees. The recording is now available. View the Training Video The training video was created as a resource to help employers meet the…

  • States Starting to Require AI Disclosures in Privacy Policies

    Whether slow and steady or with the speed of a runaway freight train, AI is likely creeping into your ecommerce operations. Perhaps helping to answer customer questions via LiveChat or in your navigation bar, or jazzing up your advertising copy, AI is suddenly cropping up everywhere. Click here to view or download the full client alert.…

  • Peter Lowe Appointed to Maine School Employee Investigations Working Group 

    Brann & Isaacson partner Peter Lowe has been appointed by Maine Department of Education Commissioner Pender Makin to serve on the working group established under LD 2192, An Act Regarding School Employee Investigations.  Created by the Maine Legislature, the working group will review and develop recommendations related to school employee investigations throughout the state. The group is expected to convene in August to establish its work plan…

View All Cases

Retail & E-Commerce News

  • Former Price Promotions, Current Legal Risk

    Former price promotions, you say? Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose. This isn’t just a quote from Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr or a line from Circumstances by Rush. It’s also a fitting description of the risks associated with California’s thorny and potentially unconstitutional Business & Professions Code § 17501. The combination of this statute and avaricious lawyers is…

  • Employment Law Webinar Series

    September 22, 2026 at 12PM ET Peter and Dave are back after a summer break and ready to continue their complimentary Employment Law Webinar Series. Join Peter Lowe of Brann & Isaacson and David Ciullo of Career Management Associates on Tuesday, September 22 at 12:00 PM for the next installment in this popular series, where they’ll discuss the latest developments and…

  • B&I University: The Latest Developments on Packaging EPR Programs

    Are you in compliance with new packaging regulations? Customer see a package. Regulators see obligations. Join Jamie Szal for a follow-up webinar on the hot topic of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Programs.  If your business manufactures, sells or imports packaged goods, these regulations could impact you.   This program will focus on the packaging EPR…

  • Brann & Isaacson Ranked by Chambers High Net Worth Guide for Private Wealth Law

    Brann & Isaacson has been ranked in the 2026 Chambers High Net Worth Guide for its Private Wealth Law practice in Maine, underscoring the firm’s reputation as one of the state’s leading private wealth practices. The firm advises individuals, families and closely held businesses on sophisticated estate planning, trust and estate administration, tax planning and…

  • Tax Notes State: Extraterritoriality and the Internet — In the State Tax Event Horizon

    On August 17, David Swetnam-Burland authored the latest installment of his Eyes on E-Commerce column for Tax Notes State, titled “Extraterritoriality and the Internet: In the State Tax Event Horizon.” States and localities are increasingly taxing online business activity that occurs entirely outside their borders — from Colorado home-rule cities to income tax theories based…

  • Earned Paid Leave is Back on Employers’ Radar

    If your organization’s Earned Paid Leave (EPL) policy has not been reviewed recently, now may be the time. A recent change to the Maine law and a new Maine Department of Labor interpretation, could affect how employers track leave and may require policy updates. Read our latest alert for a summary of the changes and…

  • California’s Upcoming Mandatory Cybersecurity Audit Requirements

    California – typically at the vanguard in consumer privacy law – will soon be launching a cybersecurity audit requirement for businesses whose processing of personal information presents “significant risk” to consumers’ security. Click here to view or download the full client alert.

  • Brann & Isaacson Attorneys Earn National Recognition in The Best Lawyers in America® 2027

    Brann & Isaacson (B&I), a Maine-based boutique law firm with offices in Lewiston, Portland and Dover-Foxcroft, is pleased to announce that its attorneys have been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2027 Edition and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America 2027. The honors come during a period of continued growth for Brann &…

  • New Sexual Harassment Training Resource for Maine Employers

    Peter Lowe recently participated in a panel convened by the Maine Human Rights Commission and the Maine Department of Labor to develop a sexual harassment prevention training video for Maine employers and employees. The recording is now available. View the Training Video The training video was created as a resource to help employers meet the…

  • States Starting to Require AI Disclosures in Privacy Policies

    Whether slow and steady or with the speed of a runaway freight train, AI is likely creeping into your ecommerce operations. Perhaps helping to answer customer questions via LiveChat or in your navigation bar, or jazzing up your advertising copy, AI is suddenly cropping up everywhere. Click here to view or download the full client alert.…

  • Peter Lowe Appointed to Maine School Employee Investigations Working Group 

    Brann & Isaacson partner Peter Lowe has been appointed by Maine Department of Education Commissioner Pender Makin to serve on the working group established under LD 2192, An Act Regarding School Employee Investigations.  Created by the Maine Legislature, the working group will review and develop recommendations related to school employee investigations throughout the state. The group is expected to convene in August to establish its work plan…

View All Online & Multichannell Marketing News