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Walter McKee's practice focuses on litigation.
Mr. McKee's criminal defense practice ranges from traffic offenses to murder. He has been involved in countless high-profile criminal cases in Maine over the past dozen years and is a veteran of over 90 fully contested jury trials. Mr. McKee's practice is statewide and also includes representation of criminal defendants in federal criminal matters in Maine's federal district courts as well as the First Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston. As one Federal judge put it, Mr. McKee's defense of the accused is nothing less than “outstanding” and rises “above and beyond the call of duty”.
Mr. McKee's personal injury practice focuses on automobile accident cases but also includes premises liability and general negligence matters. He has handled numerous, significant automobile collision cases and has obtained substantial settlements and verdicts in a variety of negligence cases. In his first ten years of practice he successfully settled or received trial verdicts in excess of $10,000,000. He serves on the Board of Governors of the Maine Trial Lawyers Association and is a strong advocate for corporate responsibility in Maine.
But that's not all he does. Mr. McKee also maintains an active general litigation practice that runs the gamut from litigation of real estate cases and business matters to probate and construction to name but a few. There's virtually no matter that he has not fought and litigated over.
With a work ethic that one publication called “legendary” (he rises at 3:00 a.m. each day), Mr. McKee hit the ground running from the day he became a lawyer. He argued his first appeal to the Maine Supreme Court less than a year after he began practicing law; tried his first criminal jury trial (in federal court) in his first five months of practice; and tried his first murder case when he was 29. Mr. McKee's work at Lipman, Katz & McKee began in 1995 when he joined the firm. He became a partner less than three years later and his name was added to the firm name in 2002. He is a frequent lecturer at continuing legal education seminars throughout the state and a regular contributor to legal publications on trial practice and procedure.
In addition to his work with clients, Mr. McKee served as president of the Maine Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (MACDL) from 2006-2008 and continues to work as chair of MACDL's Legislative Committee. In this capacity he testifies regularly before the Maine Legislature on criminal legislation, and his advocacy in this arena has been called “polished” and the work of someone who “doesn't break.” Mr. McKee also acts as a Commissioner on the state's Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices. At his confirmation hearing he was described as someone who was one of the state's “most talented and skilled attorneys” who was “respected by judges and his colleagues” for being someone “absolutely by the book” and “a straight shooter.”
Mr. McKee lives in Hallowell with his wife, Kristin Aiello, and their children. Kristin is a staff attorney at the non-profit Disability Rights Center where she is actively engaged in the representation of persons discriminated against because of their disabilities. Kristin formerly served as a Commissioner on the Maine Human Rights Commission. Mr. McKee is an avid runner, hunter, mountaineer and classical violinist; is a licensed private pilot; and served for eight years as a JAG officer with the Maine Army National Guard. He plays violin with the Augusta Symphony Orchestra and he also co-hosts the weekly local cable television show “Looking at the Law” with one of his partners, Roger Katz. The show reaches over 950,000 people throughout Maine.
Mr. McKee is also active in community affairs, serving as a soccer coach with the Hall-Dale Youth Soccer program and as the president of the Pineland Suzuki School (PSS). PSS is a non-profit local music school that his children attend that teaches violin, viola, cello and piano using the world-renowned Suzuki method.
Practice Areas: Personal Injury; Criminal Defense; General Litigation
Admitted: 1993, South Carolina; 1994, Maine and U.S. District Court, District of Maine; 1995, U.S. Court of Appeals, First Circuit; 1999, U.S. Supreme Court
Law School: University of Maine School of Law, J.D., 1993
College: University of Maine, B.A., summa cum laude, 1989
Member: Maine Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (Member, Board of Directors, 1995-1998; 2003- ;President 2006-2008); Kennebec County Bar Association (Treasurer, 2002-2004; Vice President, 2004-2006; President, 2006- ); National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers; Maine Trial Lawyers Association (Member, Board of Governors, 2006- ); American Association for Justice.
Military: Captain, J.A.G. Corps, Maine Army National Guard, 1996 - 2004
Reported Cases: Hebert v. International Paper Co., 638 A.2d 1161 (Me. 1994); U.S. v. Lagasse, 87 F.3d 18 (1st Cir. 1996); State v. Nelson, 714 A.2d 832 (Me. 1998); Legasse v. Bangor Publishing Co., 741 A.2d 442 (Me. 1999) Gafner v. Down East Community Hospital, 735 A.2d 969 (Me. 1999); U.S. v. Destefano, 201 F.3d 429 (1st Cir. 1999); U.S. v. Meader, 195 F.3d 66 (1st Cir. 1999); Newbury v. Virgin, 802 A.2d 413 (Me. 2002); U.S. v. Hartsock, 253 F.Supp.2d 24 (Me. 2003); Evans v. Willingham, 413 F.Supp.2d 155, 159-60 (D.Conn.2006).
Born: Easley, South Carolina, 1967
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