Meet the Team

Sandra Guay is an expert on land use and zoning laws. Sandy works with developers, builders, engineers, and other experts to guide her clients' projects from concept, to paper, to permit, and ultimately to reality. Sandy also represents homeowners and others in the administrative permitting process and as an experienced appellate advocate. In addition to her law practice, Sandy teaches two land use planning courses at the University of Southern Maine. From the local convenience store to a kelp farm off the coast of Maine, you can see Sandy's work where individuals and businesses are finding new, innovative, and sustainable uses for the land and sea.

Most lawyers solve legal problems. Ben solves business problems. He spent the first part of his career honing his leadership and financial management skills. He spent the next decade as a litigator perfecting an ability to translate abstract legal concepts into concrete tools for his clients. Ben is just as sharp reading a P&L as he is reading an opponent's legal brief. He believes there is no border between business challenges and legal challenges. You cannot effectively solve one without considering the other.

To create a sustainable future, we must adapt to the changing environment. Mike’s approach embraces solutions for clients that break through the traditional silos of law, permitting, and engineering. Prior to attending law school, Mike developed a detailed understanding of land use and development as a project manager and land use planner for a respected engineering and surveying firm. His blend of expertise in statutory interpretation, municipal and state permitting, and on the ground experience allow him to think beyond the law to solve complex land use, zoning and environmental issues.

Permanent solutions require transparency, trust, and communication between all the stakeholders. From Standing Rock to the Deepwater Horizon disaster, Hannah has studied and witnessed intense environmental and humanitarian conflicts in Europe, Latin America, and the United States. She wove these experiences into her master’s study in environmental law and policy at Vermont Law School. Hannah specializes in mediation, negotiation, and adaptive management strategies geared toward permanent and dynamic solutions to disputes in the US and abroad.

They may not seem exciting to some, but environmental, zoning, and land use regulations form the very fabric of our society.  Navigating the complexities of these regulations is essential to development, whether on land or in the water.  Mike’s extensive regulatory and consulting experience enables him to assist clients with project realization while fulfilling regulatory obligations to ensure sustainability for future generations.  Sustainable development requires a delicate balance. With the right tools and the right experience, this balance can be achieved. 

If we seem unusually organized and on top of things, it is because of Lucy. When Lucy is not navigating court dockets, public registries, or complex zoning ordinances with her usual alacrity, she is overseeing the operations of a fast-growing and complex professional services practice. Her many years as a paralegal have refined her abilities as an experienced researcher and problem solver. However, Lucy’s ultimate skill is giving us the tools we need to shine for our clients, and because of her work, shine we do!

Reducing complex legal and technical issues into simple terms is essential to effective advocacy: in counseling clients, presenting an application to a board, trying a case before a judge or jury, arguing an appeal, or persuading an opponent to embrace your position. Keith is adept at appearing before government agencies and courts, with a robust litigation, trial practice, and appellate background and a track record of results. He is passionate about fairness and transparency in government, research and evidence-based decision making, and delivering practical, efficient solutions for clients. Keith also values contributions to the field and has published articles on subjects ranging from coastal land use, to renewable energy, to the intersection between Maine’s administrative adjudication procedure and real estate law.

Jane comes to Archipelago with deep experience in video production, followed by management roles in small business and higher education. If it seems like Jane is busy, it is because she is building the internal operations of our growing company while at the same time producing and editing stories about resilient people living and working in a rapidly changing environment and economy. You will soon be able to see Jane's work on this and other websites as we feature the stories about our clients and the work they do.

Governmental institutions, while inevitably imperfect, are foundational to our communities; they are fundamental.  The work that local government does, and the way government does its work (how effectively, transparently, efficiently, collaboratively), shapes the very fabric of the surrounding community, its sense of place, and the quality of life of the people and businesses who call that community home. Jen has deep roots in municipal government and a strong affinity for the dedicated public servants at the heart of Maine's thriving communities. Dedicated to serving clients working in and around the public sector, Jen provides local governments and agencies with a variety of services, including compliance and risk management services, ordinance evaluation and drafting, policy analysis, organizational/programmatic assessments, and workforce development/training for municipal staff and officials at all levels. Jen also enjoys assisting private clients needing to navigate the varied and complex landscape of municipal rules and regulations.