Atty. Peter J. "Pete" Van Hemel
To say Pete is persistent is an understatement: He focuses all day, every day on bringing his real estate clients great results. And the greater the challenge and more complex the matter, the better.
Profile Summary
About Peter J. "Pete" Van Hemel at a glance
Peter J. "Pete" Van Hemel is a real estate attorney based in Portland, Maine, practicing at Bernstein, Shur, Sawyer & Nelson PA. Admitted to practice in Maine, Maine State Bar Association. Educated at Boston University School of Law (JD, 2001) and College of William & Mary (BA). Recognitions include Best Lawyers in America — Real Estate Law (2026). Serands clients in Portland, ME and the surrounding metropolitan area.
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About
To say Pete is persistent is an understatement: He focuses all day, every day on bringing his real estate clients great results. And the greater the challenge and more complex the matter, the better. Case in point: After more than four years of intense, complicated work, involving multiple moving parts and players, Pete was able to help a client bring two large-scale renewable energy projects online in Maine.
Pete thrives on solving the seemingly unsolvable, and brings confidence, honesty, and incredible attention to detail to his practice. Whether you’re looking for help with commercial lease negotiations, wind energy and telecommunications development projects, transactional work, boundary disputes, or easement negotiations, Pete’s your man.
Pete is also very experienced in:- Development, financing, and compliance of gaming facilities
- Advising clients on a wide variety of conservation transactions
Practice Areas Explained
Peter J. "Pete" Van Hemel's Areas of Practice
Each practice area below reflects the types of cases Peter J. "Pete" Van Hemel handles, with a brief overview of what that area of law covers.
Real estate attorneys handle home purchases, sales, commercial transactions, title disputes, and landlord-tenant matters.
Peter J. "Pete" Van Hemel is one of 316,149 real estate attorneys indexed nationally. Browse real estate attorneys in Maine →
Jurisdictional Context
Why local counsel matters in Maine
Practicing law in Maine. Legal matters in Maine are governed by state-specific rules of civil and criminal procedure, statutes of limitations, and substantive law. Cases originating in Portland are typically filed in the local municipal court or the appropriate Maine state district court, depending on subject matter and amount in controversy. An attorney licensed in Maine brings working knowledge of local procedural deadlines, judicial practices in this andnue, and the substantive law that applies to cases brought here. Out-of-state attorneys generally cannot represent clients in Maine courts without local counsel or pro hac vice admission.
Looking for additional Maine attorneys? Browse all attorneys in Portland or all attorneys in Maine.
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