OLAFSEN & EILERS, LLC IS A TRIAL PRACTICE FIRM. THE FIRM SERVES AS AN EFFECTIVE ADVOCATE IN FEDERAL AND STATE COURTS TO ADVANCE ITS CLIENTS’ INTERESTS. OTHER LAWYERS ENTRUST THEIR LONG STANDING CLIENTS TO OLAFSEN & EILERS WHEN THEY NEED TOP-FLIGHT TRIAL COUNSEL.
A narrow focus on trial work has given Kurt Olafsen and Meredith Eilers broad experience in a variety of litigation, from multi-party commercial disputes to personal injury lawsuits. Their practice includes representation of clients who need help resolving disputes in the following areas of the law.
BUSINESS AND CONSTRUCTION DISPUTES
State and federal laws that regulate commercial enterprises produce inevitable results: claims against businesses. Whether those claims involve unpaid trade balances, contract issues, implied and express warranties, questions of insurance coverage, internal corporate disputes, lender liability, employment issues, or any other commercial dispute, Olafsen & Eilers is prepared to provide knowledgeable, aggressive, and efficient representation. For example, in 2015, Kurt Olafsen obtained a jury verdict of over $7,200,000 for a Maine manufacturing client in a breach of warranty case. This verdict was upheld by the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.
The firm also has experience representing owners, contractors, subcontractors, and architects on construction projects involving defective design, improper methods of construction, and extra and changed work claims on public and private projects. Olafsen & Eilers has prosecuted and defended mechanics’ lien claims, bond claims, and claims under the Miller Act. The firm has participated in all types of dispute resolution methods, including mediation, arbitration, and bench and jury trials.
CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT DRAFTING AND REVIEW
Meredith Eilers’s experience handling construction disputes led her to develop skills reviewing and drafting construction contracts. On behalf of owners, contractors, or subcontractors, Meredith will efficiently review contracts for projects large and small. Meredith also has extensive experience drafting form or template contracts for general contractors and subcontractors.
PROBATE LITIGATION AND PROTECTION OF THE ELDERLY
Olafsen & Eilers represents individuals in contested estate and trust matters, including breach of fiduciary duty by personal representatives, trustees, holders of powers of attorney, conservators, and guardians, the improper administration of estates and trusts, will contests, disputes among heirs of an estate or beneficiaries of a trust, and claims by and against estates. The firm’s practice also encompasses protection of the elderly against financial exploitation. Exploitation of seniors may involve inappropriate transfers of money and other assets, coercing changes to a will, overcharging for caregiving services, or breach of fiduciary duty.
LEGAL MALPRACTICE AND PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY
Olafsen & Eilers has extensive experience representing clients who have suffered personal injuries or financial losses due to professional malpractice. The firm has represented clients on claims of malpractice against lawyers, accountants, design professionals, engineers, environmental consultants, real estate and insurance brokers, banking institutions, and investment advisors. Kurt Olafsen has developed technical expertise in these areas and an understanding of the legal issues that arise in cases of professional negligence. The firm's clients benefit from his sensitive and professional handling of these claims as well as from his experience and knowledge.
REAL ESTATE DISPUTES
Real estate disputes arise in a number of contexts: title issues, boundary conflicts, breaches of purchase and sale agreements, easement and road disputes, trespass and nuisance claims, land use issues, title insurance coverage, partition of real estate among joint owners, adverse possession, foreclosures, and commercial lease disputes. Olafsen & Eilers has extensive experience handling these controversies and others involving real estate.
MEDIATION AND ARBITRATION SERVICES
Kurt Olafsen and Meredith Eilers use their litigation experience to provide practical and cost-effective mediation services to attorneys and their clients who are enmeshed in civil disputes. Alternative methods of dispute resolution allow parties to spare the expense and delays of the court system and to manage their risks confidentially. Olafsen & Eilers will perform early neutral evaluations in cases where the parties would like a formal analysis of the risks of litigation. In addition to mediation, Kurt Olafsen will serve as an arbitrator – either individually or sitting on a panel – in those cases where parties are not able to resolve their differences.