Hawley R. Strait

Hawley advises developers, investors, owners and operators on commercial real estate projects in the region and nationally. His work spans acquisitions, development, financing, leasing and sales, and he often remains involved from a project’s initial purchase through permitting, construction and completion. For real estate companies with continuing needs, he also serves as outside general counsel, advising on transactions and the legal and business issues that arise as their portfolios and operations grow.

His practice encompasses residential, mixed-use and commercial development. Hawley handles property acquisitions and dispositions, real estate investments, project financing, title review and conveyancing. He negotiates and advises on retail, office, industrial and other commercial leases, and counsels clients on land use and zoning, condominium and planned community development, and corporate organization. For residential developers, his involvement can extend across each stage of a project, from acquisition and approvals to construction, leasing and the sale of completed units.

Hawley’s recent work includes representing a real estate investment, development, construction and management company in the construction of 201 affordable housing units in downtown Portland. He and his team advised on the acquisition and complex land use matters, coordinated with an affordable housing development partner, and addressed community relations with abutters and issues before the local zoning authority. He has also represented a developer in a large-scale condominium project, handling the original property acquisition, permitting and approvals, financing and the construction loan closing, as well as the ongoing sale of units.

Hawley’s approach reflects his familiarity with both individual deals and the continuing demands of a real estate business. He focuses on clear advice, responsiveness and the details needed to keep a project moving, while accounting for how decisions at one stage may affect the next. Outside his practice, he chairs the board of Portland Community Squash and serves on the board of Yarmouth Colts Soccer Club.

• JD, Pace University School of Law, cum laude
• BA, Bates College, cum laude

• Commonwealth of Massachusetts
• State of Maine

The Best Lawyers in America® 2027 (Ranked since 2019)

• Real Estate Law

Chambers USA 2026 (13 years ranked)

• Real Estate Law

AV Preeminent® – Martindale-Hubbell

Rising Star by New England Super Lawyers, 2013–2014

• American Bar Association
• International Council of Shopping Centers
• Maine and Massachusetts Bar Associations
• Maine Real Estate Development Association