Dan Riley chairs the Legislative and Political Law Practice Group at Bernstein Shur. He also serves as chair emeritus of Lex Mundi’s Government Affairs Practice Group. Bernstein Shur is Maine’s exclusive member of Lex Mundi, the world’s leading association of law firms.

Dan’s practice concentrates in the representation of clients before the Maine legislature, the executive branch and various state and federal agencies of government. He has more than twenty years of experience lobbying the Maine Legislature.

Dan has represented the Maine renewable energy industry as legislative counsel for the past 15 years since Maine’s electric industry was restructured in 1997. He has extensive experience representing all facets of the renewable power industry including hydropower, biomass, energy from waste, tidal power and both onshore and offshore wind power.

In addition to his work in the electrical power industry, Dan has represented clients before all of the committees of the Maine Legislature including members of the telecommunications, manufacturing, construction, retail and natural resource sectors.

Past projects of statewide significance include:

• Historic passage of the Monhegan Island Conservation Act which established the statutory right of the island’s lobstermen to continue the conservation practices that have been used for over 100 years.
• Led the lobbying effort to acquire and include Katahdin Lake into Baxter State Park. This legislation concluded the process begun by Governor Baxter and had hoped it would someday include Katahdin Lake. The bill required a super majority of support of both houses of the legislature which was achieved despite vehement opposition from the hunting lobby.

Dan has served as campaign counsel for a number of federal, state and municipal election campaigns, including serving as General Counsel to the Maine Republican Party and as State Counsel to the McCain Presidential Campaign in 2008, when he also chaired the Maine Lawyers for McCain Committee. He served in the same capacities for the Romney/Ryan campaign in 2012.

Dan is recognized by Best Lawyers in America for his work in government relations law. Prior to law school, he served in the United States Navy as a deep sea diving officer.