Ann M. Freeman

Here’s why you’ll enjoy working with her.

With extensive experience serving as in-house legal advisor for both public and private sector entities—specifically the City of Portland, Bath Iron Works, and the University of Southern Maine—Ann understands employment matters from the inside out. Ann currently counsels both public and private sector clients on all manner of employment matters, from the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to the Maine Human Rights Act (MHRA), and more importantly, the nuances involved when laws overlap and how to address those issues from a practical perspective. She also serves as a neutral investigator in sensitive employment matters, including investigations regarding discrimination, harassment (including sexual harassment), and retaliation, handling such matters with empathy and thoughtfulness for all parties involved.

Whether she’s negotiating collective bargaining agreements or handling compliance with human resources laws, Ann comprehends the myriad challenges that employers face on a daily basis. And since she’s worked in house, Ann has a deeply rooted grasp of the issues facing her clients. With this reciprocal perspective, Ann not only has the facility to listen and discern the complex issues, but the skills to find real, pragmatic solutions and traverse the process with poise and good humor.

But that’s not all. Ann is also very experienced in:

• Conducting workplace investigations related to sexual harassment, discrimination and/or violations of other state and federal laws, company codes or policies
• Helping clients navigate the intersection of the legalization of marijuana, both medical and recreational, and workplace laws and policies
• Drafting employment handbooks
• Negotiating collective bargaining agreements
• Handling arbitrations and complaints before the Maine Human Rights Commission and the Maine Labor Relations Board
• Representing clients before state courts, boards, and agencies
• Civil litigation

In her former life, Ann was:

• Ethics and Compliance Manager for Bath Iron Works, Labor Relations Manager for the University of Southern Maine, and Associate Corporation Counsel for the City of Portland
• An associate in a mid-sized Portland firm, focusing in civil litigation

When Ann isn’t working, she is…

Usually outdoors, running, biking, swimming, gardening, or skiing. In the fall, you’ll likely find her coaching at least one of her three daughters’ soccer teams through the Portland Area Youth Soccer Association.