Peter Felmly, Education Attorney in Portland, Maine

Peter Felmly advises public schools, businesses, and nonprofit organizations on a broad spectrum of school, employment, and labor law issues. Peter strives to provide his clients with timely, comprehensive, and creative solutions as they navigate the complex web of statutes and regulations governing their operations.

Employers turn to Peter for guidance on compliance with a host of state and federal employment laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Maine Human Rights Act, and the Whistleblowers’ Protection Act. Peter also routinely advises supervisors, HR professionals, and elected school boards on hiring practices, discipline and discharge practices, workplace investigations, and employee classification and compensation issues. He helps employers conduct training for employees and supervisors, and assists them with the development of employment agreements, separation agreements, employment policies and handbooks.

Peter regularly represents employers at the bargaining table, in grievance arbitration proceedings, and before administrative agencies, including the Maine Human Rights Commission, the Maine Labor Relations Board and the Department of Labor. Peter draws on over a decade of employment litigation experience to give clients valuable insights into the options available to achieve their goals, the strength of their position, and the potential risks associated with particular employment decisions.

In addition, Peter provides advice and counsel to schools regarding the constitutional rights of students and school employees, public schools’ obligations under Maine’s Freedom of Access Act, and compliance with a myriad of state and federal laws and regulations controlling the operation of educational institutions.

Peter has been recognized as one of the 2020-2022 Best Lawyers for Employment Law-Management and by New England Super Lawyers in the areas of Employment & Labor, Schools & Education, and Employment Litigation. Peter is also the editor of Maine School Law and Practice for Board Members: A Practical Guide (5th Edition) published in 2017, Maine School Law and Practice for Board Members: A Practical Guide (6th Edition) published in 2023, as well as a co-author of Maine School Law in multiple editions: 6th edition (2018), 5th Edition (2014), and 4th Edition (2012).

Peter is frequently invited to present to schools on a variety of topics including effective hiring practices, teacher evaluations, investigating staff misconduct, employees’ and students’ rights under the First, Fourth, and Fourteenth Amendments, collective bargaining strategies, and copyright law. Peter has also taught graduate-level school law courses at the University of Southern Maine.

In his free time, Peter enjoys spending time with his wife, two daughters and their black lab. He also enjoys fly fishing, camping, hiking, and travel.