Paul W. Chaiken

Paul Chaiken is an experienced trial attorney.  He served three years as an assistant district attorney before joining Rudman Winchell, a preeminent full-service law firm serving most of Maine.  When he left the 33 lawyer firm he was senior trial counsel.  His clients included numerous regional and national insurers; local and national businesses and manufacturers; colleges and universities; and many individuals.  He had a diverse case load, including such fields as personal injury and torts; commercial; contract; employment; discrimination; real estate; wrongful termination; and professional malpractice.  He has served as an expert witness in legal professional responsibility cases.  He has been a principal advocate for clients in appeals before the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, matters before the United States District Court for the District of Maine, and the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.  There are more than 50 appellate and dispositional opinions in which he is identified as counsel for one or more of the parties.

During his 35 years in private practice Paul served on the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, Advisory Committee on the Rules of Evidence and the Advisory Committee on Maine’s Code of Professional Responsibility for Attorneys.   He was elected President of the Maine State Bar Association.  At the request of Maine Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Saufley, Paul chaired the Court’s Task Force on Ethics, which converted Maine’s attorney disciplinary rules to the Maine Rules of Professional Conduct.  In 2015 Paul was appointed to Special Counsel to the Maine Board of Overseers of the Bar, in which position Paul served for two years.  He presently resides in Bangor, where he is a sole practitioner.   He engages in private mediations, ethics consultations and case evaluations.  He also serves as a Foreclosure Diversion Mediator for the Maine District Court. 

In 2002 Governor Angus King appointed Paul to the Uniform Law Commission.  The Uniform Law Commission promotes uniformity of law among the several states on subjects as to which uniformity is desirable and practicable.  The Uniform Law Commission improves the law by providing states with non-partisan, carefully-considered and well-drafted legislation that brings clarity and stability to critical areas of the law.   Such legislation includes the Uniform Commercial Code, numerous business codes, probate and trust acts.  Paul was asked to chair the Study Committee on motor vehicle data recorders, which completed its report to the Commission in 2018.  Paul serves with two other Maine Commissioners, and over 400 lawyers, judges and legal scholars who also serve pursuant to their respective state statutes.  He has been reappointed to the Commission Governors John Baldacci and Paul LePage.

Paul resides in Bangor.  He has appeared in courts throughout the State of Maine.

Paul has practiced law for 44 years, all as a trial attorney.   For most of his career he was with the litigation group within Rudman Winchell, now a 30+ attorney, full-service firm.  The breath of the firm’s work resulted in Paul representing clients involved in many different areas, including professional malpractice, personal injury, breach of contract, boundary line, warranty, and many forms of employment litigation.

In addition to his work as trial counsel, Paul was elected President of the Maine State Bar Association.  At the request of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court Paul has served on the Court’s Advisory Committees on the Rules of Evidence, the Rules of Professional Conduct, and the ad hoc Committee on Ethics which was charged with updating Maine’s Rules of Professional Conduct for Attorneys.

Paul has served as a Commissioner on the Bangor Maine Housing Authority.  Since 2002 he has been one of three Maine representatives to the Uniform Law Commission.

Paul resides in Bangor.  He has tried cases throughout Maine, appearing in all but 2 Maine’s Superior Courts. He has been on the faculty of many CLE programs, in areas such as evidence, discovery and ethics.  He has been named a “Best Lawyer,” “Super Lawyer” and has been recognized by Chambers USA.