James T. Kilbreth

Of Counsel

James T. Kilbreth

Of Counsel

Phone: 207.772.1941 Fax: 207.772.3627 Email: ofcounsel@dwmlaw.com

84 Marginal Way, Suite 600 Portland, ME 04101-2480

About

James Kilbreth focuses his practice on complex commercial, regulatory, and constitutional litigation and higher education issues. Jamie was the lead lawyer for the State of Maine in its litigation against the tobacco industry, securing a $1.5 billion recovery, the largest in State history. He was active in defending Maine’s first-in-the-nation ranked choice voting system, including the representation of Congressman Jared Golden in a suit challenging the constitutionality of his election under RCV. He also successfully sued the administration of former Governor LePage to implement Medicaid expansion on behalf of Maine Equal Justice and 70,000 potentially eligible people, represented Maine Audubon in its successful opposition to a proposed super Walmart that threatened one of the most important bird habitats in New England, and represented a class of retired state employees fighting pension cutbacks.

Jamie previously served as Chief Deputy Attorney General of the State of Maine, where he supervised all major civil and criminal actions of the office and personally handled several major cases. Before that he was the Deputy Attorney General in charge of all the state’s civil litigation. Prior to his work at the Attorney General’s office, he worked at Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering in Washington, D.C.

In addition to his Martindale-Hubbell AV rating, Jamie has been recognized by a number of independent attorney rating publications: Best Lawyers in America in the categories of Commercial Litigation, Environmental Law and Natural Resources Law; Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business under Environment and Litigation: General Commercial; New England Super Lawyers in the category of Business Litigation (2007-2024), where he was named among “The Top 100” attorneys (2008); and as a 2013 Litigation Star by Benchmark Litigation.

Education

American University Washington College of Law, J.D., magna cum laude, 1976

Northeastern University, M.A., 1974

Harvard University, B.A., cum laude, 1970

Memberships

Maine Bar Foundation
Fellow

Maine State Bar Association

Maine Equal Justice Partners Legal Panel

Maine Trial Lawyers Association

American Bar Association
Member

Community/Public Service

Advisory Committee of Legal Aid Providers
Chair

Maine Audubon Society
Past Trustee and Past President

Morton A. Brody Distinguished Judicial Service Award
Selection Committee

Business and Consumer Docket
Advisory Committee

Governor’s Judicial Selection Committee
Former Member (2003-2009)

Maine Bar Foundation
Former Director

Maine Citizens for Clean Elections
Board Member (2015-present)

Friends of the Legal Resources Centre
Advisory Trustee

Representative Clients & Matters

Mockler v. Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline, LLC

Brunswick Technologies, Inc. v. Vetrotex Certainteed Corp.

Gorman, et al. v. Coogan, et al.

Executive Risk Indemnity, Inc. v. Speltz & Weis, LLC

Neely v. Bar Harbor Bankshares

The Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors of St. Vincent’s Catholic Medical Centers of New York, et al. v. Speltz & Weis, LLC a/k/a Wellspring Management Services, LLC, et al.

Jackson Brook Institute v. Maine Ins. Guar. Ass’n

Goldenson v. Steffens

Woodhouse v. Maine Com’n on Govermental Ethics and Election Practices

Maine Equal Justice Partners v. Commissioner

Baber v. Dunlap

Recognition

Howard H. Dana, Jr. Award (2020) 

Pro Bono Equal Justice Hero Award, awarded by Maine Equal Justice

Top 100 (Awarded by New England Super Lawyers)

New England Super Lawyers, Business Litigation, Environmental Litigation, Antitrust Litigation 2007-2018

Best Lawyers USA – Commercial Litigation; Environmental Law; and Natural Resources Law

Benchmark Litigation, Local Litigation Star – Antitrust, Environmental, General Commercial, Insurance, Product Liability, Securities 2007-2017

Chambers USA, Maine

Martindale Hubbell, AV Preeminent

Admissions