Karen K. Hartford

Calm under pressure, dependable, and a true advocate for her clients, Mary is an experienced municipal and environmental law counselor. Having worked in the public sector for years before joining Bernstein Shur, she has a firsthand understanding of the issues faced by municipal and state employees and boards—and how to help her clients confront them. Her most recent public sector position was associate corporation counsel to the City of Portland, where she advised the city staff and cou...

While experienced in general commercial litigation, Maureen Sturtevant focuses her litigation practice on the representation of physicians, nurses, and other health care professionals, as well as hospitals and private health care organizations against professional malpractice claims. Using her experience and expertise gained in litigation, Maureen also provides counsel to health care organizations in a variety of health-law related issues, including risk management, policy development, and co...

For more than 30 years, Eric Herlan has been representing public school districts on a wide variety of legal issues, focusing on both special education and general school law questions. Eric gives clients practical guidance on how to resolve problems consistent with the law, often coming up with creative solutions to help them achieve their goals, even with the most complicated legal issues. He has represented Maine and New Hampshire school districts in more than 100 special education due pro...

Jeffrey Herbert is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Real Estate Law. Jeffrey, who practices law in Portland, Maine, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Jeffrey is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

For over 35 years, Gary Vogel has served the legal needs of real estate developers, investors, banks, business owners, and housing authorities. Named by Best Lawyers in America for his expertise in real estate, banking and finance and corporate law, Gary brings to his clients unparalleled insights in commercial real estate and development matters; affordable housing and community development; corporate and commercial transactions and governance; complex financing transactions; business format...

Melissa Hewey is an accomplished litigator with substantial experience across a broad range of practice areas, including insurance defense, school law, higher education law, employment matters, and complex commercial litigation. Melissa has represented a diverse set of clients, such as insurance companies, schools, colleges and universities, municipalities, law firms, hospitals, individuals, and businesses in a variety of industries. Melissa has tried a wide range of cases and argued signific...

Dick Spencer specializes in complex problems which require effective advocacy at the local and state levels and before administrative agencies, the state courts, and the Maine Legislature. He is among Maine’s leading experts in diverse areas including land use and conservation, municipal law, and public finance. Dick also advises multi-generational families on how best to transfer their Maine seasonal and other properties to the next generation. Dick’s approach to problems is intu...

Sara Murphy focuses her practice on complex commercial litigation and class action defense, representing clients from a number of different industries, including financial services, energy, pulp and paper, insurance, and professional services. Sara’s litigation practice includes disputes related to breach of contract, unfair trade practices, claims under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, and other business-related torts. She also handles cases involving claims for ...

To say Pete is persistent is an understatement: He focuses all day, every day on bringing his real estate clients great results. And the greater the challenge and more complex the matter, the better. Case in point: After more than four years of intense, complicated work, involving multiple moving parts and players, Pete was able to help a client bring two large-scale renewable energy projects online in Maine. Pete thrives on solving the seemingly unsolvable, and brings confidence, honesty, an...

Michael was born in Norfolk, Connecticut. He attended college in Maine, went away to law school and returned to begin his practice of law with Jensen Baird Gardner & Henry in 1985. Mike chairs the firm's Business Services Practice Group. Mike also serves on the firm's Management Committee, currently in the position of President. His practice is concentrated in the areas of corporate, business and commercial law, and non-profit corporation law. He represents large, medium and small Maine b...