PORTLAND – Maine’s former chief justice is going into private practice, joining the state’s largest law firm.

Daniel E. Wathen will begin work Jan. 22 at Pierce Atwood, whose ranks include another former chief justice, Vincent McKusick, said Bruce A. Coggeshall, the firm’s managing partner.

Wathen’s keen sense of Maine and its people, along with his mastery of the law, will serve the firm well, Coggeshall said.

Wathen, who abruptly resigned his post in early October to run for governor as a Republican and then dropped out of the race seven weeks later, said he is looking forward to a different sort of challenge.

“Pierce Atwood has a strong, diverse and sophisticated practice that affords the right opportunities, and some of the finest attorneys practicing anywhere today. It was an easy and natural choice,” he said.

Wathen said he envisions mandates for increased use of alternative dispute resolution making arbitration and mediation a significant part of his practice. He also plans to offer consultation on appeals.

He’ll also become part of Pierce Atwood’s white-collar defense and corporate investigations practice, as well as participating in the firm’s efforts to bring legal reform to Central and Eastern Europe.

Wathen served eight years as chief justice during a career that spanned 24 years on the bench.