Top Environmental And Natural Resources Lawyers Near Me in Portland Area

Water law is my passion, solving often historic puzzles to obtain legal, efficient water use particularly for farmers, ranchers, and small muncipalities in the West continues to provide challenges and rewards even into the third decade of practice.  Over the last decade, international water supply development particularly in the Middle East and water quality issues including storm water management and drainage in the wetter regions of the Western states have broadened my practice that includes "Everything Water."

Jay Griffith is part of Kell Alterman & Runstein, L.L.P’s Environmental and Natural Resources Practice Group. He joined the firm in 2016 from an in-house position at a large international steel manufacturer where he started in environmental compliance at the company’s Portland mill site. Jay’s compliance experience includes managing compliance with the company’s NPDES permits, Title V air permit, and hazardous and solid waste rules and regulations. His experience in heavy industry informs his understanding of his business client’s needs and gives him the unique ability to see challenges and opportunities from the client’s perspective. As senior counsel for the company, Jay supervised outside legal counsel on the Portland Harbor superfund project for several years and became well-versed in CERCLA practice. Jay also has handled large and complex policyholder environmental insurance coverage claims related to cleanup matters.. His environmental compliance background and keen understanding of the business case for acquisitions and dispositions makes him a key component of any M&A transaction. Jay has been involved in transactions with challenging environmental issues, multiple purchasers, and major upgrades. He also has extensive experience negotiating contracts for sales, procurement, finance, lease agreements, and customer claims and approaches these negotiations with the client’s business goals in mind and practical solutions to achieving those goals. Further, Jay has lead and resolved several large litigation matters, including multiple party litigation, environmental tort litigation, and large customer claims. His broad spectrum of experience in business law and litigation brings a solid understanding of his clients’ goals to transactions and disputes.. Jay also ran his own law practice while maintaining full-time employment in environmental compliance. In his private practice, Jay prosecuted collection cases for northwest collection agencies. He negotiated settlement of cases where appropriate for his clients, and pursued legal remedies where necessary.. Jay earned his Bachelor of Science in Politics from Willamette University where he met his wife in a class that mixed the politics majors with the environmental science majors. He attained his J.D. from Lewis and Clark Law School, graduating with a certificate in environmental law.. He is a northwest native, returning to Portland after four years in Chicago. Growing up in Olympia, Washington, he loves the outdoors, hiking, biking, camping, skiing, and working around the house. Jay enjoys working on house projects, including tinkering with wiring and plumbing projects, and even finished his basement himself. When not at the office, Jay and his wife and sons enjoy camping, visiting the coast with their Labrador Retrievers, and enjoying the Oregon outdoors.

I represent public and private clients in complex environmental civil litigation and regulatory matters. I have conducted both trial and appellate litigation in federal and state tribunals across the country, including the Second and Ninth Circuit Courts of Appeals, Eastern District of New York, New York and Oregon state trial courts, and Virginia State Corporation Commission. I regularly handle matters involving federal and state environmental and natural resource agencies, including EPA, BLM, USFWS, Oregon DEQ, and the Washington Department of Ecology. I have assisted with the environmental review and compliance aspects of numerous corporate transactions. I earned my J.D. from Columbia University School of Law, where I was a Stone Scholar, and served as Editor-in-Chief of the Columbia Journal of Environmental Law.

I have been advising clients throughout the West on environmental, natural resource, and land use law since 2000.  My practice is focused on helping clients to obtain the federal, state, and/or local approvals required for construction and operation of range of project types, including electric transmission and renewable generation projects.  I work daily with clients, agency representatives, and consultants across a range of environmental and natural resource disciplines. My skill set includes representing clients in administrative hearings and litigation, as well as providing regulatory compliance advice.

I am a highly organized and practical solutions-driven attorney with extensive regulatory, transactional and corporate experience.  My colleagues and clients value my ability to cultivate lasting relationships, work effectively with people from all walks of life, efficiently manage workloads and bring a positive attitude to even the most difficult of projects.

Dustin Till's practice focuses on environmental and land use litigation, and he has specialized experience with natural resource, permitting, and environmental review issues in the Pacific Northwest. Dustin represents clients in Washington, Oregon, Alaska, and Missouri. He has appeared before the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, federal district court, and the Washington State Court of Appeals.

Brian Chenoweth is founder of Chenoweth Law Group, PC where he represents clients in all aspects of complex commercial litigation in state and federal courts.. His practice emphasizes environmental, real estate, land use, business, construction, injury, insurance and administrative law.  With over eighteen years of experience, Brian is recognized for his litigation work with plaintiffs and defendants alike throughout Oregon and Washington.. Brian's environmental clients include property owners and businesses facing regulatory compliance and cleanup costs for all types of contamination. His specific experience includes cases involving gas stations, oil bulk facilities, dry cleaners, chrome plating facilities, auto wrecking facilities, ship repair yards, underground storage tanks, landfills, gas pipelines, PCB contamination, and wood treatment facilities. In addition, Brian represents clients in matters regarding environmental consultant and contractor negligence, water quality, endangered species, and bodily injury and property damage related to chemicals, lead, asbestos, and mold.. During his career Brian has negotiated complex settlements with state and federal agencies, advised clients on their legal responsibilities, and pursued recovery of cleanup costs from other responsible parties. Brian has also defended businesses and individuals regarding environmental claims. He also represents neighboring property owners who are impacted by pollution.. In addition to his litigation practice, Brian advises clients in business and real estate transactions with respect to environmental liability and regulatory compliance. Other work includes brownfield redevelopment and agency enforcement matters.. Brian’s environmental practice brings him face to face with government agencies, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, and the Washington Department of Ecology.. Brian also represents clients regarding real estate transactions and disputes, land use law, business formations, sales, and purchases, insurance disputes, disputes with administrative agencies, and construction law.. Representative clients include food processing companies, outdoor advertising companies, real estate brokerages, insurance agencies, construction companies, small and medium size business of all types, attorneys seeking to co counsel on complex cases, municipal housing authorities, insurance companies, personal representatives and trustees, trucking companies, environmental consultants and and clean up contractors, testing laboratories, private universities, and individuals.. Licensed to practice law in Oregon and Washington, Brian received his law degree (cum laude) from the American University, Washington College of Law in 1994, and a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science from University of Oregon in 1989.. Brian speaks to industry professionals, governmental agency staff, and other lawyers on environmental, insurance, real estate, and land use.. Away from the office, Brian enjoys writing and playing music (in the firm's band--the Everyday Heroes), boating (on the firm's boat--"Short Sale"), hiking, traveling, and spending time with his children.

As a fifth generation cattle rancher, Laysan Unger brings invaluable knowledge and personal understanding to Dunn Carney’s Environmental and Agricultural & Natural Resources practices.. “I grew up on a cattle ranch in Hawaii,” explains Laysan, “and our property was home to an endangered species, the ‘Alala (Hawaiian Crow). As a result, we were sued under the Endangered Species Act by environmental organizations for access to our property to study that bird. This experience was the impetus for my career: I knew I wanted to work on behalf of private landowners on environmental and natural resource legal issues because of my family’s experience. I personally identify with these legal issues because they are the same issues my family’s agricultural operation faces.”. Beginning her career clerking at Dunn Carney while earning her J.D. in Environmental and Natural Resource Law at Lewis & Clark, Laysan proved herself to be a valuable and passionate ally to Dunn Carney’s clients, earning a position as a Dunn Carney attorney upon passing the Oregon bar. While in law school Laysan served on the executive board for Environmental Law (the environmental law journal of Lewis & Clark Law School) as articles editor and also as president of S.A.B.E.R. (Student Advocates for Business and Environmental Responsibility). She continues this advocacy and outreach through her contributions to Dunn Carney’s Natural Resources Updates blog and annual Ag Summit.. “I love having the opportunity to work on the Dunn Carney Ag Summit because it provides important information to the agricultural community by bringing speakers together in one place… . Facilitating the exchange of ideas and providing valuable information to our clients is something I’m very proud of.”. When not working hard in the trenches as a champion for Oregon Agriculture and landowners, Laysan plays hard as Dunn Carney’s formidable catcher propelling Dunn Carney’s softball team to the 2013 law league playoffs. Off season Laysan enjoys snowboarding, hiking and cheering for the Oregon Ducks as well as her younger brother Max Unger’s team, The Seattle Seahawks.