Environment: Oregon

THE FIRM The Portland team of this national firm's energy and resources group, with nine full-time practitioners, is well equipped to handle any problems or advise on strategies for businesses large and small. The lawyers are well known for their skill in dealing with the state legislature and for obtaining permits for clients, many of whom are out of state and overseas energy, utilities and natural resources companies.

Sources say: "Top-notch work and huge numbers of lawyers in town."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Tom Lindley chairs the nationwide energy and resources practice group and is often involved in work around the country. One eminent commentator described him as being "perhaps the best environmental lawyer in Oregon." 

David Bledsoe has an impressive record of trying and winning high-stakes environmental cases. Clients are impressed that he "sees the big picture and has clear aims and ideas of where to take a matter and where it might go."

Christopher Rich, having formerly worked at the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, brings to bear his invaluable knowledge of the regulatory process from both sides. A major client is the Washington Demilitarization Company, which disarms and dismantles chemical weapons.

THE FIRM This Portland giant has an impressively large and rounded environmental team to match its all-around stature in this part of the world. The team helps clients in the forest product, energy production, infrastructure, manufacturing and extractive industries with matters as diverse as air and water quality, endangered species requirements and environmental insurance claims. Clients include Columbia Biogas and El Paso.

Sources say: "Expectations are more than met - their work is excellent."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Thomas Wood is described as "confident and effective, however seemingly intractable the problem." He is a celebrated expert on matters surrounding air quality and relevant permitting.  

Mark Morford is recognized for his "deep understanding of environmental law and regulatory compliance." His practice takes in compliance advice on air and water quality, contaminated site cleanup and defense in environmental crime investigations.

Joan Snyder, as a "great litigator with a background as a chemist," is much vaunted in her work defending environmental damage claims and advising on compliance issues and the environmental implications of transactions. 

Michael Campbell's work is primarily concerned with water quality law and helping his clients stay on the right side of it. Many of his clients operate in the forest products, energy and manufacturing sectors.

David Filippi's practice has a strong emphasis on water rights and quality, the law concerning fish and aquatic wildlife preservation, and hydroelectric facility relicensing and permitting.

Barbara Craig is cited by sources as "an endangered species expert - superb." She is currently handling the environmental permitting for El Paso's Ruby Pipeline.

THE FIRM This full-service firm, noted for its keen focus on municipal, public and environmental law, is well placed to offer excellent counsel and advocacy on all manner of environmental matters a business may face in its operations. Since the firm's foundation in 1990, it has contributed to legislation in every session of the state legislative assembly.  

KEY INDIVIDUALS James Benedict, like many at his firm, has a background in the sciences - in his case chemical engineering. A much sought-after counselor on environmental questions, he specializes in the problems connected with the siting of electrical generation facilities.

Clark Balfour advises businesses, municipalities and local government organizations on Oregon water law provisions, as well as land use and permitting issues.

THE FIRM This large team, brimming with deep sector knowledge and experience, is involved in some of the region's most pressing matters where business, governmental and environmental interests coincide. Lawyers from Davis Wright Tremaine are also concerned with the cleanup of one of the Pacific Northwest's largest Superfund sites. Clients include JPMorgan Chase, Mitsubishi and Shell.

KEY INDIVIDUALS The majority of Richard Glick's practice is geared toward helping clients obtain water-related permits under the provisions of the CWA and state water rights.

Lawrence Burke is renowned for his "extremely adept technical mind," which he puts to good use advising on environmental compliance auditing, hazardous waste permitting and litigating insurance coverage cases on behalf of insureds.

Daniel O'Leary is seen as a "vital spearhead" of the firm's practice by clients. He has a strong emphasis on natural resources and is noted for his deep understanding of issues surrounding access to public land and the Endangered Species Act, and for his abilities as a litigator. 

THE FIRM The Oregon offices of this prominent Pacific Northwest firm, in Bend, Portland and Salem, form one of the region's leading environmental law practices, with a particular forte in questions of water rights and supply. Clients include Alaska Airlines, Clean Water Services and Port of Vancouver USA.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Based in Salem, the "knowledgeable and effective" Martha Pagel focuses mainly on water rights and supply and the regulatory requirements for natural resources exploitation.

David Bartz is considered to be "one of the top environmental litigators in the state." The cases he takes on tend to have a maritime or riparian bent. He is the lead environmental attorney for the Port of Vancouver in Washington state, and has represented a number of port authorities on both sides of the Columbia River.

THE FIRM This leading Portland firm has deep roots in the local business community and, with a branch in Washington, DC, a presence inside the Beltway. It is involved in negotiations, compliance work and other matters for hydropower concerns, forest product firms, companies with a stake in the Portland Harbor Superfund site and the Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Association. 

KEY INDIVIDUALS Max Miller is praised for being a "good leader" and for his "levelheadedness." Chair of the firm's environmental and natural resources practice group, he is steeped in knowledge of environmental and land use regulations at the local, state and federal level.

Peter Mohr is best known for helping public and private sector clients, be they mining and natural resources companies or local authorities, with adapting to and complying with water law regulations.

THE FIRM The environment, natural resources and land use team in the Portland office of this dynamic West Coast firm enjoys a strong presence in the Oregon market and beyond. Matters handled include those relating to environmental compliance and permitting, the Endangered Species Act, Superfund and contaminated land cleanup and more. Clients include Cascade General, Northwest Aluminum and Teck American. 

KEY INDIVIDUALS Considered "an excellent lawyer and a very smart person" by sources, Claudia Powers, head of the firm's environmental practice group, is much sought after by large chemical, paper, waste and utility companies, and is the environmental counsel for Portland Shipyard. 

THE FIRM Ball Janik has one of the best reputations in the state for its real estate and land use work, and this disposes it well toward engagements concerning environmental compliance, permitting, site cleanup and litigation. Helping energy facilities - often renewable energy producers - navigate state and federal regulatory frameworks is a particularly strong suit.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Irene Ringwood is a key contact.

THE FIRM 'Dirt law' - that is to say environment, land use and real estate - is one of the foundations of this firm. The team's strong subspecialty in matters relating to water rights and groundwater quality is of particular note. Landowners, developers, businesses and public sector bodies engage the team in no small measure because of its deep relationships with regulators and state officials.

KEY INDIVIDUALS With a background in the agricultural sector, Steven Shropshire is ideally placed to understand the needs of and issues faced by clients seeking advice on water law, permitting, regulatory compliance and litigation.

Head of department Chris Reive brings his considerable experience to bear in risk and impact assessments of transactions and development work, waste management, regulatory compliance engagements and environmental insurance matters.

THE FIRM The seven-strong team at Landye Bennett Blumstein is widely respected by the business community of the Pacific Northwest. The full range of environmental and natural resources legal advice is on offer, including compliance advice, due diligence, wetland and wildlife preservation, and related litigation.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Practice chair David Blount is thought of as "one of the top environmental litigators" in the region. He is particularly noted for the quality of his work regarding hazardous waste issues and environmental insurance defense litigation.

Jennifer Gates is well known for her knowledge and experience of CWA cases and site cleanup. She is deeply involved in the ongoing Portland Harbor Superfund site cleanup on behalf of clients with interests in developments there.