Attorney Profiles

Kurt E. Olafsen
kolafsen@olafsenbutterfield.com

Kurt has concentrated his law practice in civil litigation since 1981. He represents clients in a wide variety of lawsuits and disputes including business and corporate litigation, professional malpractice, personal injury, probate and estate litigation, construction disputes, and real estate litigation. Kurt has successfully tried numerous jury and non-jury cases in federal and state court.

Kurt graduated summa cum laude from Dickinson College and was a member of the Alpha Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. He graduated first in his class from Cornell Law School in 1980, receiving his law degree with summa cum laude honors. While in law school, Kurt was Note Editor of the Cornell Law Review. After graduation, he served as law clerk to the Honorable Collins J. Seitz, Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

Following his clerkship with Chief Judge Seitz, Kurt joined the Portland law firm Verrill Dana. He practiced with Verrill Dana for nine years, including three years as a partner of the firm. Kurt left Verrill Dana in 1990 to start his own practice, and later joined forces with Lou Butterfield to form the litigation firm of Olafsen & Butterfield. Kurt was a member of Bernstein Shur's litigation practice group from 2004 to 2006. After three years of solo practice, he and Lou began practicing together again as Olafsen & Butterfield LLC in January 2009.

Kurt is a member of the Cumberland, Maine State and American Bar Associations, and the Maine Trial Lawyers Association. He has also taught litigation for the Paralegal Program at the University of Southern Maine. Kurt is a long-time youth baseball coach and a former member of the board of directors of the Deering Little League, Baldwin Youth League, and Sacopee Valley Babe Ruth League. He has also served as president and director of the Baldwin Historical Society and as a member of the Baldwin Board of Zoning Appeals. Kurt lives in Portland with his wife.

Louis B. Butterfield
lbutterfield@olafsenbutterfield.com

Lou practices civil litigation with an emphasis on employment law, commercial and construction disputes, and cases of professional negligence. He has represented individual clients and businesses before courts and administrative agencies throughout New England in all of these areas of practice. Lou’s experience includes jury and non-jury trials in favor of his clients in both federal and state courts, and he has successfully argued several cases on appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.

While Lou practices in all areas of employment law, he has extensive experience in anti-discrimination cases, and he serves as a mediator and helps clients on compliance issues. In addition to his law practice, Lou developed a course of study and taught Employment Discrimination Law at the University of Maine School of Law.

Lou earned his B.A. degree with magna cum laude distinction from Dickinson College in 1985, where he became a member in the Alpha Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. He graduated magna cum laude from the University of Maine School of Law in 1988 and was ranked second in his class. While in law school, Lou was a member of the Staff and Board of Editors of the Maine Law Review (Production Editor), and worked as a Legal Writing Instructor.

Lou joined the Portland law firm Bernstein Shur as an associate in 1988 and established his own practice four years later. He and Kurt Olafsen merged their practices to form Olafsen & Butterfield in 1995. After returning to Bernstein Shur in 2004, where he served as Chair of the Employment and Labor Law Group, Lou and Kurt rejoined to form Olafsen & Butterfield LLC in 2009.

Lou is a member of the Cumberland and Maine State Bar Associations, the National and Maine Employment Lawyers Associations, and the Maine Trial Lawyers Association. He continues to serve as an Advisory Trustee for Greater Portland Landmarks after completing his term as a member of the Board of Directors and Vice-President of Public Affairs. Lou is a past member of the Edward Thaxter Gignoux Chapter of American Inns of Court. He is involved with Trinity Church in Portland, where he has served as a warden, junior warden, member of various committees, and as a delegate to the Diocese of Maine. Lou is past-president of the Parkside Neighborhood Association and served for many years as class agent for the Alumni Association of the University of Maine School of Law. Lou lives in Portland with his wife and two daughters.