Hardy Wolf & Downing

Hardy Wolf and Downing is a unique personal injury firm, started by William Hardy and Fredda Wolf in 1976 in Lewiston. By then Bill Hardy had three years trial experience in another firm in Portland and Fredda Wolf had several years’ experience in a Lewiston firm.

Like most young firms, they were hungry and did all sorts of cases. Everything from car accidents to workers compensation to felony murder trials. Gradually as the firm’s reputation for personal injury accident cases grew, it represented more and more injured Mainers in a variety of cases. The firm members discovered they liked it and were very good at it. They also decided to specialize in injury cases because, like medicine, the law has become so complex that it’s hard to be fully up to speed on every type of case. Hardy Wolf and Downing pledged then to be the best personal injury firm in Maine and to get the most possible money for injured Mainers.
By then, Tom Downing had joined the firm. Tom had experience as a legislative advocate and naturally took to representing the injured victim against the large insurance companies.

Also joining the practice then was Sheldon Tepler, with previous experience in the Maine Attorney General’s office and with the federal court system at a high level. Sheldon now manages Hardy Wolf and Downing on day-to-day matters.

Mike Welch as our fifth partner. He joined the firm after several years experience with another law firm.

Chris Lewis, joined in 2006 and is now a partner. He previously worked with the Department of Justice.

Each of the partners had extensive experience investigating, preparing and trying cases in court. Many law firms which advertise on TV do not back it up by handling their own cases all the way through the court system, if that is required. HWD will take each case as far as it needs to go.

The firm is unique because each member is well schooled and experienced in the law and medicine of personal injury, the firm specializes in injury claims and it has an impressive track record of collecting well over $100 million dollars for injured Mainers to back it up.