Manchester, N.H., Woburn, Mass. (August 23, 2022) – The law firm of McLane Middleton congratulates attorneys Michael A. Delaney (Appellate Practice), Thomas W. Hildreth (Immigration Law), Barry Needleman (Environmental Law), Margaret O’Brien (Employment Law), Michael B. Tule (Mergers and Acquisitions Law), and Jeremy T. Walker (Construction Law), for being named a 2023 Lawyer of the Year in their respective field by The Best Lawyers in America©.
Best Lawyers is a respected peer review publication within the legal profession. Recognition in Best Lawyers is widely regarded by both clients and legal professionals as a significant honor, conferred on a lawyer by his or her peers. For more than three decades, its publications have earned the respect of the profession, the media, and the public, as the most reliable, unbiased source of legal referrals anywhere.
Michael Delaney is highly regarded in and out of government for his strategic judgment and skills as a lawyer, having served as Attorney General of New Hampshire (2009-2013), legal counsel to Governor John H. Lynch (2006-2009), Deputy Attorney General (2004-2006), and Chief of the State’s Homicide Prosecution Unit (1999-2004). He advises schools, colleges and universities on Title IX issues, responses to faculty and student misconduct and compliance issues. He conducts and oversees internal investigations and provides counsel to organizations on crisis management. He also represents organizations and individuals with government and internal investigations and complex civil and criminal litigation. Michael can be reached in the firm’s Manchester and Woburn offices at (603) 628-1248 or michael.delaney@mclane.com.
Thomas Hildreth has been counseling a diverse mix of closely-held business clients for nearly twenty years. In addition, Thomas has substantial experience in the areas of real estate development, telecommunications, and franchise law. He founded and is the head of the Immigration Law Practice Group. He writes and speaks extensively on the subject of US immigration laws. Thomas can be reached in the firm’s Manchester office at (603) 628-1177 or tom.hildreth@mclane.com.
Barry Needleman and has more than 25 years of experience handling environmental and energy matters for regional and national clients. He is a Managing Director and chairs McLane Middleton’s Energy Practice Group. He does a substantial amount of energy facility siting work, primarily before the New Hampshire Site Evaluation Committee, on numerous types of projects ranging from fossil and renewable generation, to electric and gas transmission. Barry has experience litigating a variety of environmental cases in state and federal courts such as insurance and third-party cost recovery claims at former manufactured gas plants and the defense of State-wide MTBE contamination claims. He also litigates administrative matters before state appellate councils regarding permit appeals under various environmental programs. He regularly represents clients in environmental matters involving permitting, compliance counseling, and defense of administrative and judicial enforcement actions. Barry can be reached in the firm’s Manchester office at (603) 230-4407 or barry.needleman@mclane.com.
Margaret “Peg” O’Brien assists employers with legal compliance and risk management in all phases of the employment relationship, as well as defense of employers in matters pending before government agencies and courts. She provides on-site and virtual training for employees and supervisors on harassment prevention and documentation and discipline best practices, and other employment law matters. In addition, Peg conducts workplace investigations as an internal or outside independent investigator, and recently completed the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination’s Certified Course on Conducting Discrimination Complaint Investigations. Peg frequently presents at seminars on employment law issues before human resources and trade groups. She has practiced law for more than 25 years and has handled litigation in federal and state courts throughout New Hampshire. She has extensive jury trial experience as well as extensive experience appearing before government agencies. Peg can be reached in the firm’s Manchester office at (603) 628-1490 or margaret.obrien@mclane.com.
With more than three decades of experience, Michael Tule has represented large and small companies in business formations, public and private securities offerings, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and other complex transactions. As a former general counsel and secretary to two publicly held companies and with more than 11 years of executive experience, Michael is a versatile business lawyer with substantial expertise advising senior management on a wide range of legal and business issues, including mergers and acquisitions, contract negotiation, licensing and protection of intellectual property, corporate governance, antitrust, product distribution issues, executive compensation, leasing, and employment/labor matters. He can be reached in the firm’s Manchester office at (603) 628-1290 or mtule@mclane.com.
Jeremy Walker is a director in the firm’s Litigation Department. He focuses his practice on business litigation, with a particular emphasis on intellectual property and construction litigation. Jeremy is a trial lawyer and has represented both large and small companies in the New Hampshire Superior Court, the New Hampshire Supreme Court, in Federal District Courts and in arbitration proceedings. He can be reached in the firm’s Manchester office at (603) 628-1431 or jeremy.walker@mclane.com.