Bernstein Shur's Les Wilkinson Recognized by Kennebec Valley Chamber for Leadership on Augusta Comprehensive Plan

Wilkinson co-chaired Augusta Comp Plan Committee with Lisa Dickson

AUGUSTA, Maine – Attorney Lester “Les” Wilkinson Jr., who manages Bernstein Shur’s Augusta office, was recognized Friday, Jan. 25, by the Kennebec Valley Chamber of Commerce for his work on the Augusta Comprehensive Plan.
The Chamber presented the “Special Service Award” at its annual awards banquet to the Augusta Comprehensive Plan Committee that Wilkinson co-chaired with Lisa Dickson. The comprehensive plan involved more than 100 people serving on 12 subcommittees and dozens of public forums over the past year and a half. The plan is available at the City of Augusta web site.

“The Chamber applauds the outstanding leadership of chairs Les Wilkinson and Lisa Dickson, along with all the subcommittee chairs and the many citizens who helped create a meaningful map for Augusta, Maine’s capital,” said Peter Thompson, President and CEO of the Kennebec Valley Chamber of Commerce at the awards banquet Friday.

Senator Susan Collins presented the award. "Thanks to Les Wilkinson’s hard work and leadership as Co-Chair of the Augusta Comprehensive Plan Commission, our Capital City has charted a clear course for the future,” Collins said. “This project required energy, commitment and the ability to organize the work of a large group of team members. It was my distinct pleasure to present Les with the Kennebec Valley Chamber of Commerce’s Special Service Award.”

Bernstein Shur attorney and former governor Angus S. King Jr. received the KVCC Special Service Award in 2001.

Dickson is an environmental planner and project manager with S E A Consultants, where she advises clients on regulatory strategies and environmental compliance.

Wilkinson, a former president of the Maine State Bar Association and one of the state’s leading commercial attorneys, concentrates his practice in real estate law, mergers and acquisitions, and commercial finance and lending. Since joining Bernstein Shur in 1990, he has volunteered countless hours to a variety of civic activities. He is also recognized each year by Best Lawyers in America for his work in Real Estate Law.

Wilkinson credited members of the comprehensive plan committee for the 18-month effort that resulted in a true strategic plan for Maine’s capital and the surrounding region. The plan, which has been widely embraced by the community, extends the boundaries of traditional comprehensive planning, he said.

“We tried to find consensus on what could or should happen, and it worked,” said Wilkinson. “The community really came together on this project, and I commend my co-chair and everyone involved for their efforts. We need to spread the word about the benefits of living and working in Augusta and the central Maine region. Every person in the city, the region and the state of Maine wants Augusta to be an even greater place tomorrow than it is today.”

A 1978 graduate of Bates College, Wilkinson earned his J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law in 1981. He has taught real estate law at the University of Maine at Augusta and been a presenter of continuing legal education programs for both the MSBA and the Maine Association of Realtors.

Wilkinson has lived and worked in his adopted hometown, Augusta, for 26 years. His volunteer service outside the Maine legal profession includes continuing service as a director of the Kennebec Valley Chamber of Commerce, and prior positions as a board member and later chair of the boards of Maine General Health Associates and the Children's Center in Augusta. He continues a keen interest in public education, and is a member of the Kennebec County Bar Association. He and his wife Robin, a teacher in Augusta, have four sons.

Bernstein Shur is one of northern New England’s largest multi-service law firms, with more than 90 attorneys in offices in Maine and New Hampshire. Founded in 1915, the firm provides practical and innovative counsel in the areas of business and real estate law, litigation, and municipal law to clients throughout the region and around the world. Bernstein Shur is Maine's exclusive member of Lex Mundi, the world's leading association of independent law firms. For more information, visit bernsteinshur.com.


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