Our Founder & Future
Port City Legal was formed in 2010 by Joe Lewis
Joe envisioned a law firm full of smart people dedicated to their clients, each other, and the State of Maine. Port City Legal began in the Time & Temperature building in Portland with Joe and one assistant, moving to the Old Port and adding two attorneys in 2016.
Port City Legal now employs five attorneys and three paralegals in our yellow-walled, roomy home in the historic Robinson Paper Company Building at 5 Moulton Street.
Joe was dedicated to Portland, choosing it as his home after careers in sales and map making in California and New York. He raised his kids in Portland and volunteered in the community. Joe graduated cum laude from the University of Maine School of Law in 2010.
That year, Joe formed Port City Legal, where he put into practice the lessons in business he’d learned from his mother, Jackie Lewis, creating a family within a business and supporting employees to be the best they can be. A natural communicator, Joe was more than a boss, he was a mentor and a great friend.
Whip smart, Joe was a fighter by nature: tough, determined, and driven to win. He also was an insightful and compelling counselor, guiding clients through difficult emotional challenges and empowering them to be better parents while protecting their rights. Joe loved to litigate and was a gifted orator, but he believed in seeking agreement whenever possible.
With his passionate advocacy, wise counsel, and creative intelligence, Joe changed many clients' lives. Joe was a vital presence in Maine’s legal community, friend to lawyers and court staff alike. Joe also was a founding member of the Katahdin Counsel, recognized annually for his dedication and generosity in providing advocacy to Mainers in need.
Joe's mission continues at Port City Legal, where we all are inspired by Joe’s wisdom and heart. Our story is one of a small but mighty law firm, making a difference every day in our beautiful state of Maine.
Joe was killed in a pedestrian accident, walking to work, in January 2025. He was survived by his wife, Maryellen, his two children, Anthony and Mackenzie, his two “bonus children” Ellison and Emma, and hundreds of friends, admirers, and grateful clients.
A memorial fund at Maine Law has been created to name a classroom there for Joe. You can donate at Maine Law here, and then click on Joe’s Memorial Fund.