Paul Weiland Named a Litigation Trailblazer

Paul Weiland was named to National Law Journal’s list of General Litigation Trailblazers for 2023. The list recognizes a handful of attorneys who are at the top of their game and achieved significant litigation wins during the past 12 months.

Paul was recognized for the historic win he secured for the Maine Department of Marine Resources in 2023. The win came in an ESA dispute where the D.C. Circuit panel shot down a biological opinion supporting lobster fishery restrictions enacted to safeguard right whales. The Court decided the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) wrongly relied on worst-case scenarios favoring right whales in regard to uncertainty regarding the impact the lobstering industry had on the species.

Commenting on what qualities helped make him a trailblazer, Paul said, “I am a zealous advocate for a sensible and just regulatory process. This informs my approach to litigation. My views are rooted in my background in political science and my desire to see the American experiment continue its trajectory toward the ideals expressed by the founders.”

Regarding what he sees as the future impact of his win for Maine, Paul noted, “The continued success of the American experiment is contingent on faith in our governmental institutions, which is in turn dependent on their adherence to the rule of law and science-informed agency decision-making.”