Best Lawyers in America for Environmental Law
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State
Sharon Smith is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Environmental Law. Sharon, who practices law in Austin, Texas, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Sharon is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
As Founding and Managing Partner of Ciresi Conlin, Katie’s known for practicing at the intersection of science and the law. She pinpoints the advantages and disadvantages of each case, quickly and efficiently. In order to know how to maneuver your client’s case, you also need to understand your opponent’s path. Seeing through the pitfalls while recognizing the advantages both sides face helps to refine the business goals and litigation strategies for any dispute. Plus, after...
Robyn Neely focuses her practice on environmental site contamination issues related to real estate and corporate sales and acquisitions, and leases, including pre-acquisition, pre-leasing and pre-foreclosure due diligence analysis. Her practice also includes managing the investigation and remediation of contaminated properties and brownfield redevelopment including innovative solutions to risk management with risk based corrective actions. Her clients include private equity firms, homebuilder...
OVERVIEW Trevor practices in the areas of environmental and natural resources compliance, permitting, and litigation. Trevor advises clients on a variety of environmental topics, including federal, state, and local air programs; stormwater and SPCC compliance; and waste and hazardous waste management. Trevor has worked on various environmental issues in administrative appeals and in state and federal courts, as well as advised local administrative boards during appeals. Trevor also assists cl...
Clients rely on Clay Massey for complex litigation matters, particularly in the areas of land use and toxic torts. He has been trial counsel in numerous matters across various states and has tried several cases to verdict. Trusted by his peers, Clay is recognized in the legal community for his distinguished service, and is a chair of the American Bar Association’s Mass Tort/Toxic Tort Subcommittee. Clay is a trial attorney in Alston & Bird’s Environment, Land Use & Natural...
Doug Arnold is Co-Chair of the firm’s Environment, Land Use & Natural Resources Group. He has over 20 years of experience representing clients in environmental litigation, enforcement, and compliance matters. Doug also has client relationship responsibility for Electrolux North America, as well as for the firm’s environmental work for United Parcel Service, Inc. Doug is listed in Chambers USA , The Best Lawyers in America , and The International Who's Who of Environmental Lawy...
John G. Valeri Jr. has more than 30 years of experience providing advice regarding state and federal environmental laws and regulations, including obtaining permits and approvals involving multiple environmental media for complex projects. He provides strategic policy advice on major state and federal legislative and regulatory initiatives. Electric Generation Sector John has shepherded environmental permits and approvals for the development and operation of a variety of electric generation s...
Mike Brown is the head of the Real Estate Litigation Team at the firm. Mike is a member of the firm’s Environmental and Toxic Tort Practice Group and the General Litigation Practice Group. Mike’s emphasis in both practice groups is on real property and land use matters. Because of this emphasis in his practice, Mike also works very closely with the Real Estate Group. For the past several years, Mike has served as an adjunct Professor at the University of Alabama School of Law wher...
John C. Spinrad is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Environmental Law and Litigation - Environmental. John C., who practices law in Atlanta, Georgia, has been recognized since 2008. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which John C. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Dalva "Dal" L. Moellenberg practices environmental and natural resources law concentrating on water quality and water rights, Superfund, hazardous waste, mining law and mined land reclamation, toxic substances matters, including compliance counseling, permitting, legislation, rulemaking and litigation. Mr. Moellenberg's recent experience includes: Representing business groups and chairing a subcommittee that drafted Arizona legislation (S.B. 1452, 1997) that amended the state Water Quality As...
Sara M. Burgin is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Environmental Law, Litigation - Environmental and Water Law. Sara M., who practices law in Austin, Texas, has been recognized since 1997. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Sara M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Gerald L. Pouncey, Jr. is the Chairman of Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP. A Senior Partner in the firm, he also heads the Environmental and Infrastructure Practices. His primary focus is the acquisition, disposition and/or the redevelopment of properties with significant environmental impact (including state and federal superfund sites), mergers, investments and financing related to such properties and the development and implementation of green energy technologies and strategies. He lectu...
Partner H.S. Bartlett III (“Tad”) heads up Fishman Haygood’s Appellate Group and practices more broadly in the firm’s Litigation Section. He is an Appellate Practice Specialist, certified by the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization, and serves as a member of the LBLS Appellate Practice Advisory Commission. Tad first practiced under the Louisiana student practice rule in 1999 as a member of the Tulane Environmental Law Clinic before graduating magna cum laude and Ord...
John assists clients in the areas of environmental law, real estate and land use and zoning law, with an emphasis on litigation. He helps individuals, developers and public entities in all aspects of environmental due diligence, permitting and entitlement. John also assists clients in navigating the complex web of state and federal environmental statutes and regulations, including counseling clients on compliance with the Clean Water Act (CWA), the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA...
For more than a decade, I have worked to understand how environmental law impacts my clients. Identifying problems is only a part of what I do; what I most enjoy, and what my clients value, is finding solutions. For me, practicing law is about helping real people and businesses to succeed in an increasingly competitive marketplace. My early career as a lawyer prepared me to provide effective, commonsense guidance. I have closed asset purchases, conducted corporate due diligence, and served as...
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.