Former Bernstein Shur shareholders launch education-focused law firm

Provided photos Amanda Norris Ames, left, and Kai McGintee have joined forces to launch Aleta Law.

Write a Comment

Two former co-chairs of Bernstein Shur’s investigations and resolutions practice group have left Maine’s largest law firm to start their own virtual boutique firm.

Joined by eight fellow attorneys and three staff members, all formerly with Bernstein Shur, Amanda Norris Ames and Kai McGintee have launched Aleta Law.

“I have nothing but good things to say about Bernstein Shur, where I spent 17 years of my career," McGintee told Mainebiz in a phone interview. But at Aleta Law, "it really made sense to operate independently since we’re not providing traditional legal services for our clients."

Aleta Law, whose name is derived from Aletheia, the Greek goddess of truth, plans to provide investigation and adjudication services for higher education institutions, K-12 schools, athletic organizations, nonprofits and companies across the country.

The practice is focused on issues ranging from Title IX sexual harassment and other forms of sexual misconduct to child abuse, domestic violence, stalking, discrimination and harassment based on protected classes such as race, religion and disability. Additionally, Aleta Law says it is equipped to handle cases involving hazing, bullying and “boundary/power imbalance violations.”

The practice is expanding “as civil rights issues and complaints on campuses are growing” in relation to issues including hostilities in Palestine and Israel, McGintee said.

While McGintee works out of her home in Yarmouth, Ames is in Charlottesville, Va., and the other lawyers are in Georgia, New Jersey and Colorado.

"Kai and Amanda have been at the forefront of this field for years, earning the trust and respect of clients nationwide,” Ana Davis, Aleta's practice manager, said in a news release. “Their leadership and commitment to excellence are the pillars on which Aleta Law stands.”

McGintee graduated from the University of Maine School of Law in 2007, while Ames earned her law degree from Washington University in St. Louis in 2008, according to their LinkedIn profiles.