Chris A Nielsen

Chris A Nielsen

4.7
Rating: 7.9

Licensed for 21 years

Criminal defense Lawyer at Saco, ME
Practice Areas: Criminal Defense, DUI & DWI, Civil Rights ... +2 more

176 Main Street, Suite 2, Saco, ME

About Chris

Biography

Practice Areas

5

Practice Areas

DUI and DWI 15%

22 years

15%
Civil Rights 5%

20 years

5%
Juvenile Law 5%

22 years

5%

Fees and Rates

Cost

Free Consultation

$0 first 60 minutes

Contingency

33%-40%

Retainer

Always


Payment Methods

  • Cash
  • Check
  • Credit Card

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Licenses

Licensed in Maine for 21 years

State: Maine

Acquired: 2004

Active

Lawyer disciplined by state licensing authority in 2010

Location

The Nielsen Group

176 Main Street, Suite 2, Saco, ME, 04072

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Chris A Nielsen's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

4.7 /5.0

14 Client Reviews

Filter Avvo Reviews (14) Refine reviews to match your needs. Use the filters to quickly surface reviews that align with your case or priorities.

Showing 6 - 10 of 14 reviews

Posted by Ken | March 16, 2015

Helpful !

Chris took time out of his busy schedule to answer some questions and start investigating on my behalf the same day. I work in customer service and understand the importance of honesty, integrity, and trust. Chris and the Nielsen team are A+ in my book.

Posted by anonymous | February 04, 2015 | Lawsuits & Disputes

Excellent Service. Licence Saved

Nielsen represented me exceptionally. No problems at all. Attended many court dates and kept me informed. Great Work!

Posted by anonymous | October 19, 2014 | Speeding & Traffic Ticket

Great Outcome to Criminal Speeding

While coming from a wonderful rafting trip i got a Criminal speeding ticket in Maine. The instance itself was scary, as I had no such speeding intentions, and the kind of words I heard from the cop was a nightmare. I could barely manage to drive back home under the pressure of neither over nor unde...r speeding. When I started looking at internet for such cases, I came across horrible stories. I was very upset over the next two days thinking what I have done to deserve this. I knew in the days to come the impact would be felt on my personal life, family life & even my work which is true. While looking for potential lawyers on the internet I came across Nielsen Group & thought of giving it a shot. In the first call I briefly explained the incident to a Nielsen Group associate, following which I talked to Chris Nielsen. That very call reduced my anxiety to a great extent, as Chris knew what he was up against & how would he handle it. During the course of resolution, Chris & team were always available, kept on updating me regularly, and always ears to any information I had. The only time I had to come back to Maine was the final day at court when the resolution was arrived at after a period of exactly 3 months from the date I got the ticket. Finally a much awaited decision, & I am totally satisfied with the outcome of a simple traffic ticket. Value for money, extremely professional services, high availability, readiness to help & recommend always are some of the traits based upon which I would highly recommend Attorney Nielsen to anyone stuck in my kind of or even worse situations. Thanks Nielsen Group & especially Chris.

Posted by J.Z. | October 19, 2014 | Criminal Defense

My Driver's License Was Saved

I had pled guilty to an OAS charge without a lawyer. The next thing I knew I was looking at going Habitual Offender. If I lost my license, I would have lost my profession, which requires a lot of travel. If I don’t have a car, I can’t get around at all. I have a good paying job, and I can’t risk ...losing it. I had to get help. I found Attorney Chris Nielsen to be honest and thorough in explaining my circumstances to me. He helped me understand all the legal things that I did not really know. Attorney Nielsen went at my case by petitioning the court to withdraw my guilty plea to the OAS. Attorney Nielsen told me that I might lose because the court does not always let people do that. If I ever had a question that he did not have the answer to right away, he took the time to get the answer and actually called me back. He never gave me the run-around. I was very happy and surprised when Attorney Nielsen got the court to withdraw my guilty plea and hear my OAS case again. With Attorney Nielsen’s help, I got a great outcome. My license went off of Habitual Offender, I got my license back, and my life could go on. His knowledge about the law and his honesty with me about my case helped me to trust him. He made his fees reasonable for me so that I could get the legal help I needed. On the whole, I felt that he really cared about me and how my life is affected. I would recommend The Nielsen Group to anyone.

Posted by H.B. | May 29, 2014 | Criminal Defense

He made a plan and executed it

I was charged with fishing without a license. I tried to take care of it on my own at first, and then I got confused after Arraignment. I tried to research the law on my own but I could not find the right information I needed. I heard about Attorney Chris Nielsen through a friend. I was able to m...eet with him promptly, and he came up with a plan of action. He executed the plan of action, and it worked out very well. The charge against me was filed, which is what I wanted to have happen in the first place. My fishing license is very important to me as an avid fisherman, and having the charge filed was important to preserve my professional license for my employment. I would definitely recommend Attorney Nielsen to anyone in need of legal help.

See All Client Reviews

Chris A Nielsen's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Chris
Amy B. McGarry headshot
Amy McGarry

Criminal defense lawyer | Apr 15

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. Chris is knowledgeable, conscientious and a fighter for his clients."

Edmund R. Folsom headshot
Edmund Folsom

Criminal defense lawyer | Jan 28

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. Chris Nielsen is a conscientious attorney who works hard to achieve good outcomes for his clients."

Robert C. LeBrasseur headshot
Robert LeBrasseur

Criminal defense lawyer | Aug 09

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. Chris is a hard working fighter for his clients."

Amber Lynn Tucker headshot
Amber Tucker

Criminal defense lawyer | Jul 18

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I've known Attorney Nielsen for several years as both opposing counsel and a fellow attorney in the criminal defense bar. He is dedicated to his clients and works hard to achieve the best possible outcome."

Jessica A. Demers headshot
Jessica Demers

Criminal defense lawyer | Jul 18

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"For knowledgeable and effective representation, call Chris Nielsen!"

Matthew F. Govan headshot
Matthew Govan

Child abuse lawyer | Mar 23

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

William T Bly headshot
William Bly

Federal crime lawyer | Jul 11

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Attorney Nielsen is a highly skilled defenses attorney who nearly always manages to pull the proverbial rabbit out of his hat at the last minute. He is a highly skilled negotiator as well as a very sharp lawyer concerning constitutional law violations in criminal matters. He has proven himself to succeed where others generally fail when it comes to one to one negotiations with the prosecutor. In addition to his extensive state criminal defense practice, he is exceptionally knowledgable and skilled in the federal defense arena. I find myself seeking his advice and counsel whenever I have a complex federal criminal legal issue to tackle. Attorney Nielsen is a dedicated defender and works to press every legal angle to his clients' advantage. If you are faced with a serious criminal charge, you need a serious criminal lawyer. I happily endorse his skills and qualifications."

View All Endorsements
Amanda Jo Doherty headshot
Amanda Doherty

Criminal defense lawyer

Jonathan R. Berry headshot
Jonathan Berry

General practice lawyer

Robert C. LeBrasseur headshot
Robert LeBrasseur

Criminal defense lawyer

Michael J. Waxman headshot
Michael Waxman

General practice lawyer

Edmund R. Folsom headshot
Edmund Folsom

DUI and DWI lawyer

Amy B. McGarry headshot
Amy McGarry

Criminal defense lawyer

Amber Lynn Tucker headshot
Amber Tucker

Criminal defense lawyer

Jessica A. Demers headshot
Jessica Demers

Divorce and separation lawyer

Matthew F. Govan headshot
Matthew Govan

Unknown lawyer

William T Bly headshot
William Bly

DUI and DWI lawyer

Experience

Rating:  7.9 (Very Good)

Professional misconduct

This lawyer was disciplined by a state licensing authority in 2010.

Reprimand issued in ME, 2010

updated on 05/30/2014

A reprimand means an attorney did something wrong but may still practice law. The State gives the lawyer a public reprimand in hopes that he or she will not repeat the behavior.

Chris’s comment:

“What can I say, sometimes I'm an animal.”

Work Experience

2010 - 2024

Owner, The Nielsen Group

2005 - 2010

Partner, Nielsen & Bly

2004 - 2004

Student Attorney, University of Maine School Of Law

2002 - 2004

Associate Attorney, Law Office of James L. Auddifred

2001 - 2001

Clerk, The New York State Senate

2000 - 2000

Clerk, Clinton County District Attorney's Office

Associations

Maine Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

Member

York County Bar Association

Member

Cumberland County Bar Association

Member

Education

2004

University of Maine School of Law

JD - Juris Doctor

2001

State University of New York, College at Plattsburgh

Languages

English

Activity

Avvo Rating

Our Rating is calculated using information the lawyer has included on their profile in addition to the information we collect from state bar associations and other organizations that license legal professionals. Attorneys who claim their profiles and provide Avvo with more information tend to have a higher rating than those who do not.

What determines Avvo Rating?
  • Experience & background Years licensed, work experience, education
  • Legal community recognition Peer endorsements, associations, awards
  • Legal thought leadership Publications, speaking engagements
  • Discipline
    This lawyer was disciplined by a state licensing authority in 2010
    Disciplinary information may not be comprehensive, or updated. We recommend that you always check a lawyer's disciplinary status with their respective state bar association before hiring them.
Avvo Rating Levels
10.0 - 9.0 Superb8.9 - 8.0 Excellent7.9 - 7.0 Very Good6.9 - 6.0 Good5.9 - 5.0 Average4.9 - 4.0 Concern3.9 - 3.0 Caution2.9 - 2.0 Strong Caution1.9 - 1.0 Extreme Caution