Elizabeth Butler has over thirty years of experience in assisting public and private sector clients to translate economic development opportunities into new business, from Maine to the emerging economies of Eastern Europe and Africa. Elizabeth heads the firm's Catalyst Program, providing affordable legal services to high potential start- up companies to enable their growth. She assists clients on a broad range of corporate, regulatory, and economic development issues, including successful marine renewable and wind energy projects. She also represents entities critical to economic growth, such as the Maine Technology Institute, and provides legal counsel to foreign governments in electricity, gas, and water infrastructure projects financed by the World Bank and US AID.
Elizabeth served as Chief Counsel to Maine Governor Angus King, as well as State of Maine Assistant Attorney General for natural resource agencies, offering exceptional insight into how to work effectively with governments to create economically and environmentally sustainable projects acceptable to local communities.
Elizabeth's extensive experience in public sector law and litigation enables her to guide businesses with start-up and expansion projects by providing the full range of legal services needed by growing companies, including advice on the most efficient use of Maine's economic development incentives, streamlining the process for environmental, land use, and other governmental approvals, and related tax planning, employment, and intellectual property issues.
Elizabeth's recent pro bono efforts include legal assistance to the Gulf of Maine Research Institute and its innovative programs to create The Gulf of Maine Responsibly Harvested branding program and to implement a Sectors management program for the Gulf of Maine groundfishery.
Recent Experience
- General Counsel to Ocean Renewable Power Company, a successful marine hydrokinetic energy company and graduate of Pierce Atwood's Catalyst Program General Counsel to Ocean Renewable Power Company, LLC, a leading marine hydrokinetic energy technology and project development company
- General Counsel to Maine Technology Institute, a public-private partnership to fund competitive R&D and related job growth in Maine
- 2006-2009 – Advisor, Bulgaria's State Energy and Water Regulatory Commission (SEWRC) under a World Bank contract to increase regulatory capacity in the water and wastewater areas. Sophia, Bulgaria
- 2007-2008 Advisor, Rwanda's Urgent Electrification Rehabilitation Project under a World Bank contract to draft a framework electricity sector and gas sector law and to draft implementing regulations. Kigali, Rwanda
Honors & Distinctions
Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating: AV® Preeminent™
June 2011 – Panel Moderator – Ocean Energy International Conference, Portland, Maine. Marine hydrokinetic permitting – Lessons Learned
May 2011, Invited Speaker, "Ocean Renewable Energy: Accelerating the Decision-Making Process Workshop" sponsored by The Ocean Research and Resources Advisory Panel (federal advisory committee to the White House National Ocean Council)
March 2011 – Invited Speaker, 4th Annual Global Marine Renewable Energy Conference, Washington, D.C. "Marine Renewable Energy: Accelerating a Sustainable Future; Growing Our Economies" – "Accelerating the Decision Making Process for MHK Facilities" Panel
March 2011 – Course Moderator and Presenter at renewable energy capacity building conference for regulators from over fifteen African nations in Nairobi, Kenya
Professional Activities
Member, Maine and New Hampshire Bar Associations
Publications
Maine Requires State Blessing for Local Property Tax Relief, Journal of Multistate Taxation and Incentives Current Developments (August 2004)
Petition to Revise North Atlantic Right Whale Critical Habitat Designation, September 30, 2009
Listing of Gulf of Maine Atlantic Salmon as an Endangered Species, July 17, 2009
Ocean Energy Legislation, May 11, 2009
Civic Activities
Board of Directors, Gulf of Maine Research Institute, 2011
Board of Advisors, North Atlantic, Inc., 2011
Board of Advisors, New England Forestry Foundation, 2009-2011
Board of Directors, New England Forestry Foundation, 2004-2009
Board of Directors, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences Foundation, 2004-2010
Maine Investment Exchange, Advisory Board, 2005-2010
Board of Directors, Maine Foundation for Blood Research, 2004-2010