Peter Felmly is Drummond Woodsum’s Practice Group Leader for the School & Local Government group. He counsels private sector employers and public schools in all aspects of labor law, employment law, and school law.
Peter advises employers of all sizes on compliance with 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. His practice involves counseling management and human resources personnel on hiring practices, discipline and discharge practices, conducting workplace investigations, and employee classification issues. Peter helps employers conduct training for employees and supervisors, and assists employers with the development of employment agreements, separation agreements, employment policies and handbooks. He also regularly represents employers at the bargaining table, in grievance arbitration proceedings, in state and federal court proceedings, and before administrative agencies, including the Maine Human Rights Commission, the Maine Labor Relations Board and the Department of Labor.
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. He frequently provides seminars and trainings for his school clients 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 for educators.
Peter received his undergraduate degree from Colby College and his law degree from the University of Maine School of Law. Peter is also a co-author of Maine School Law (4th edition 2012 and 5th edition 2014), and has served as a lead instructor for graduate-level school law courses offered by the University of Southern Maine. He has been selected as a New England Rising Star by Super Lawyers in the areas of employment law and education law from 2008-2016.
