Environmental Permitting Lawyers
235 verified environmental permitting attorneys across the United States. Find experienced Environmental Permitting counsel to evaluate your case, explain your options, and represent you through every stage of the legal process.
My name is Jeremy T. Cranford.
Robert L Gutman is a lawyer practicing landlord and tenant law, real estate, commercial litigation and 240 other areas of law. Robert received a B.S. ...
Carolyn Songer Raepple is a lawyer practicing administrative litigation, bid protests, energy facility siting and 5 other areas of law. Carolyn receiv...
Matthew Tollin is a lawyer practicing adoption, alimony, immigration and 415 other areas of law. Matthew received a degree from Georgetown University ...
Mr. Jeffrey Civins is a lawyer practicing administrative and public, climate change & corporate sustainability, crisis management and 9 other areas of...
Mr. Charles D.
Geoffrey D. Smith has over 24 years of attorney experience in the areas of health care law, environmental law, administrative law, general civil litig...
Kurt A Deter is a lawyer practicing environmental law, drainage and water law, environmental permitting and 2 other areas of law. Kurt received a B.A....
Anthony Pasca maintains active litigation, land use, and real estate practices. He began his legal career primarily as an appellate practitioner, and ...
Scott W. Hardt is a lawyer practicing land use / zoning, administrative law, public land law and 6 other areas of law.
Jan Adam Greben is a lawyer practicing environmental law, litigation, real estate and 86 other areas of law. Jan received a B.A. degree from San Jose ...
Gordon J. Schiff practices at Gordon J.
Samuel Ross Ducote is a lawyer practicing libel, slander and defamation, dui/dwi, personal injury and 44 other areas of law. Samuel received a B.A. de...
Jared G. Carter is a lawyer practicing real estate, adverse possession, boundary disputes and 47 other areas of law.
Brian Edward Lawler is a lawyer practicing easements, land acquisitions, land sales and 67 other areas of law. Brian received a degree from Dartmouth ...
Jason T Conforti is a lawyer practicing federal crimes, white collar crimes, drug trafficking and 13 other areas of law. Jason received a B.A. degree ...
John Leonard Watson is a lawyer practicing air emissions, climate change and sustainability practice, brownfields and contaminated properties, environ...
James T. Price is a lawyer practicing environmental, environmental compliance and enforcement defense, environmental permitting and 11 other areas of ...
Carl Houston Helmstetter is a lawyer practicing brownfields and contaminated properties, class actions and other multi-party actions, environmental an...
Michael D. Hockley is a lawyer practicing environmental, environmental cleanups, environmental compliance and enforcement defense and 15 other areas o...
Madeline Ahlgren is a lawyer practicing environmental law, corporate commercial law, commercial real estate and 38 other areas of law. Madeline receiv...
Mr. Scott Edward North is a lawyer practicing mergers & acquisitions, government & regulatory affairs, government contracts and 32 other areas of law.
Patricia F. Sharkey is a lawyer practicing environmental permitting, regulatory compliance, policy development.
Sherri Marie Kirk is a lawyer practicing planning & land use, brownfields redevelopment, business law and 23 other areas of law. Sherri received a B.S...
Donald L. Anglehart is a lawyer practicing environmental permitting, environmental compliance, environmental litigation and 3 other areas of law.
Jeff David Hoffman is a lawyer practicing california environmental quality act (ceqa), coastal environmental, environmental administrative and 24 othe...
Mr. Ernest Arthur Cox III is a lawyer practicing eminent domain, property rights, land use litigation and 2 other areas of law.
Jack D. Palma II is a lawyer practicing native peoples law, oil and gas regulation, natural resources law and 5 other areas of law.
Kathleen Marie Whitby is a lawyer practicing brownfields and contaminated properties, air emissions, climate change and sustainability practice, real ...
Mr. David M.
Karyn Kristine Reed is a lawyer practicing real property, real estate, commercial real estate and 63 other areas of law. Karyn received a B.A. degree ...
N. Marlene Fleming is a lawyer practicing environmental law, air pollution, air quality and 349 other areas of law.
John Jeffrey McNealey is a lawyer practicing real estate, commercial and residential development, purchase and sale transactions and 19 other areas of...
Christopher Richard Schraff is a lawyer practicing administrative, appropriation, cercla and 22 other areas of law. Christopher received a A.B. degree...
Robert Loring Brubaker is a lawyer practicing environmental law, green initiatives, environmental permitting and 14 other areas of law. Robert receive...
Kenneth T Bills is a lawyer practicing real estate, commercial leasing, environmental permitting and 7 other areas of law. Kenneth received a B.A. deg...
John C Sahradnik is a lawyer practicing governmental, environmental permitting, environmental litigation and 10 other areas of law. John received a B....
Kevin J Coakley is a lawyer practicing real estate development, environmental permitting, land use and 9 other areas of law. Kevin received a B.A. deg...
Bruce Alan Morrison is a lawyer practicing environmental litigation, environmental permitting, business law and 20 other areas of law. Bruce received ...
Michael Paul Comodeca is a lawyer practicing environmental law, environmental compliance and enforcement defense, environmental permitting and 5 other...
James Timothy Harrington is a lawyer practicing environmental litigation, air pollution, environmental administrative law and 4 other areas of law. Ja...
Michael Shaw Tammaro is a lawyer practicing administrative law, environmental law, coastal environmental law and 16 other areas of law. Michael receiv...
S. Curtis Devoe is a lawyer practicing environmental permitting, environmental cost recovery, underground storage tanks and 11 other areas of law.
Gayle Buttram Carlson is a lawyer practicing agricultural law, air quality, alternative dispute resolution and 32 other areas of law. Gayle received a...
Charles Michael Chadd is a lawyer practicing administrative litigation, federal administrative law, environmental litigation and 3 other areas of law....
Phi Delta Phi. President, Collier County Real Estate Attorneys, Inc., 1981-1982.
John Raymond Herin, Jr. is a lawyer practicing administrative law, cannabis law, eminent domain and 8 other areas of law. John received a B.A. degree ...
Matthew Watsky has attained Martindale-Hubbell's highest rating for legal ability and ethical standards, as well as a rating as a"SuperLawyer" in New ...
Mr. Frederick Eisenbud is a lawyer practicing environmental law and litigation, municipal litigation, brownfields applications and 65 other areas of l...
Susan Alice Hays is a lawyer practicing brownfields development, leases and leasing, commercial real estate development and 13 other areas of law. Sus...
William Douglas Preston is a lawyer practicing administrative adjudications, administrative hearings and appeals, professional licensing and 9 other a...
Mr. Andrew Joseph Baumann is a lawyer practicing administrative law, civil litigation, eminent domain and 6 other areas of law.
Ms. Michelle Diffenderfer is a lawyer practicing administrative law, energy, environm and 20 other areas of law.
Lawrence E. Volmert is a lawyer practicing environmental law, air quality, water quality and 5 other areas of law.
Hon. Bram D E Canter is a lawyer practicing environmental, land use, environmental permitting and 6 other areas of law.
Steven Paul McDonald is a lawyer practicing environmental regulation, environmental litigation, environmental cleanup and 10 other areas of law. Steve...
Ross Mitchel Johnston is a lawyer practicing air pollution, air quality, brownfields redevelopment and 51 other areas of law. Ross received a B.A. deg...
Ms. Sophia Ehringer Langley is a lawyer practicing college and university law, environmental permitting, entertainment law and 9 other areas of law.
Ms. Marcia Parker Tjoflat is a lawyer practicing land use / zoning, construction / development, environmental permitting and 5 other areas of law.
Joseph G Maternowski is a lawyer practicing commercial, construction & development, brownfields redevelopment and 57 other areas of law. Joseph receiv...
What is Environmental Permitting?
Environmental Permitting is the branch of law that governs the rights, obligations, and disputes that arise within its subject matter. In the United States, environmental permitting sits at the intersection of statutes enacted by Congress, the regulations issued by federal agencies, the laws passed by all fifty state legislatures, and the body of judge-made decisions known as the common law. Because every state writes its own version of the rules, the way environmental permitting works in one jurisdiction can look noticeably different from how it works in another, and that is one of the main reasons attorneys in this area focus their practice geographically — to stay fluent in the local statutes, court rules, and judicial preferences that shape outcomes.
At a practical level, Environmental Permitting attorneys spend their time on three categories of work. The first is advice and prevention: counselling clients on how to structure transactions, draft documents, and conduct business so that legal risk is minimised before a dispute ever begins. The second is transactional execution: producing the contracts, filings, notices, and registrations that the law actually requires to make a decision legally binding. The third is contested representation: defending or pursuing a client's interests when a dispute escalates to negotiation, regulatory enforcement, arbitration, or litigation in court.
The clients who hire Environmental Permitting lawyers range from individuals navigating a single life event to multinational corporations with complex regulatory exposure. What unifies them is the need for an experienced lawyer who knows the relevant code sections, has appeared in the relevant courts, and can translate the strategic options into language a client can act on. AttorneyQnA currently lists 235 verified environmental permitting attorneys across the United States, each with a public profile showing their bar admissions, years in practice, and the kinds of matters they have handled — with the deepest concentration of practitioners in Alabama.
When do you need an Environmental Permitting attorney?
Most people contact an environmental permitting lawyer for one of two reasons: something is about to happen that they want done correctly the first time, or something has gone wrong and they need it fixed before it gets worse. The earlier you involve counsel, the more options you usually have, and the lower the cost of getting to a resolution tends to be. The scenarios below are the ones we see most often on AttorneyQnA from prospective clients searching for environmental permitting representation.
Once your signature is on a contract, settlement, lease, or release, your bargaining leverage drops sharply. A short pre-signature review by an environmental permitting lawyer is the cheapest insurance you can buy.
Cease-and-desist letters, regulatory notices, and demand letters all start clocks. Missing the response window can convert a manageable problem into a default judgment or formal enforcement action.
Statutes of limitations, filing windows, and appeal periods are jurisdictional — courts cannot extend them as a favour. If you can identify a date that matters, you need a lawyer before that date arrives.
The moment opposing counsel appears, the conversation moves out of normal English and into procedural language. Continuing unrepresented usually means losing ground you cannot recover later.
Forming an entity, choosing a venue, structuring a deal, or selecting a remedy each has long-term consequences. A consultation at the planning stage is far cheaper than redoing it after the fact.
Multi-state matters bring conflict-of-laws questions that change which statutes apply and which court has authority. An attorney licensed in the right jurisdiction is not optional.
If any of the situations above describes where you are right now, the next step is a focused consultation. Use the Ask a Lawyer tool for short written questions, or browse the 235 environmental permitting attorneys listed above to book a paid consultation directly.
How to choose an Environmental Permitting attorney
The single biggest factor in choosing an environmental permitting lawyer is fit with your specific matter. A lawyer with twenty years of environmental permitting experience but no exposure to your particular sub-issue can easily be a worse choice than a five-year associate who has handled the same problem repeatedly. We recommend running every prospective lawyer through the same five-step checklist before signing an engagement letter.
- Bar admission in the correct jurisdiction. Confirm the lawyer is admitted in the state — and where relevant, the federal district — where your matter sits. The lawyer's profile on AttorneyQnA shows every bar admission on file, and the underlying state bar's "lawyer lookup" tool will confirm active standing in under a minute.
- Direct experience with your fact pattern. Ask plainly: "How many matters like mine have you handled in the last three years, and how did they resolve?" An honest answer reveals more than years-in-practice alone.
- A written fee agreement. Whether hourly, flat fee, contingent, or hybrid, the engagement letter should specify what is included, what triggers additional charges, and how disputes are handled. Avoid lawyers who resist writing the terms down.
- Communication cadence. Decide upfront how often you expect updates, who your day-to-day contact will be, and what response time is reasonable. The number-one complaint filed with state bar grievance committees is not malpractice — it is non-communication.
- Conflict check + reputation pulse. Make sure the lawyer has run a formal conflict check, then spend ten minutes reading independent reviews and any public disciplinary history. The state bar's website is authoritative for the second; the lawyer's AttorneyQnA profile collects the first.
Once you have a shortlist, schedule consultations with two or three. Lawyers vary widely in temperament, and the right strategic match for your case is sometimes the second or third lawyer you meet — not the first.
How much does an Environmental Permitting lawyer cost?
Legal fees in the United States are not regulated by a uniform schedule, so what you pay an environmental permitting lawyer depends on the billing model the lawyer offers, the complexity of your matter, and the local market. There are four billing structures used in this practice area; most engagements use one, but hybrid arrangements are increasingly common.
1. Hourly billing
The default model for most non-contingent matters. Rates for environmental permitting attorneys in the U.S. typically range from $150–$250/hour in smaller markets to $400–$700/hour in major metropolitan areas, with senior partners at large firms commanding $900/hour and above. Hourly billing is fairest when the scope of work is genuinely unpredictable, but it creates an incentive structure that the client has to monitor.
2. Flat fee
Increasingly used for well-defined transactions — incorporations, will drafting, single-issue filings, uncontested matters. A flat fee tells you exactly what the deliverable will cost, and the lawyer absorbs the risk of unexpected complexity. Ask whether the flat fee includes filing fees, third-party costs, and any post-filing follow-up.
3. Contingency
Where it is permitted by the rules of professional conduct — most often in plaintiff-side environmental permitting work involving monetary recovery — the lawyer is paid a percentage of the proceeds, typically 33% before suit is filed and 40% after. The client pays nothing if there is no recovery. Contingency fees align the lawyer's economics with yours, but the percentage compounds across time, so very strong cases sometimes do better on hourly billing.
4. Retainer / subscription
A monthly fee that buys a defined block of access or hours. This is common for businesses with ongoing environmental permitting needs — contract review, employee questions, regulatory check-ins. A subscription smooths out spending and gives the lawyer a reason to know your operation in depth.
Whichever model you choose, ask for an itemised written estimate before the engagement begins, and ask explicitly what is not covered. Surprise expenses are the most common source of attorney-client friction.
Frequently asked questions about environmental permitting
How quickly can an environmental permitting lawyer review my matter?
Most lawyers can schedule an initial consultation within 1–3 business days. Urgent matters — pending deadlines, time-sensitive notices, court-ordered hearings — should be flagged in your first message; many lawyers reserve emergency consultation slots for that reason. If you need a written answer faster, the Ask a Lawyer tool typically returns answers in under 24 hours.
Do I need a environmental permitting lawyer in my exact city, or anywhere in my state?
Bar admission is the controlling rule: any attorney licensed in your state can represent you in that state's courts and agencies, regardless of which city they're based in. Practical proximity still matters for in-person meetings, local court familiarity, and access to the local bench and bar. For state-level filings and remote-friendly matters, an attorney elsewhere in the same state often works fine.
Will an initial consultation cost me anything?
Many environmental permitting attorneys offer a free 15- to 30-minute initial consultation; others charge a flat consultation fee that may be credited against the engagement if you hire them. The lawyer's profile lists the consultation policy. Free does not always mean better — a fee-based consultation is sometimes the sign of a lawyer who treats their time, and yours, seriously.
What documents should I bring to the first meeting?
Bring every contract, notice, letter, filing, or written communication connected to the matter; a written timeline of events with dates; the names and contact details of every other party involved; and any deadlines or hearing dates you are already aware of. Even an incomplete file is more useful than a verbal summary alone.
Can I change lawyers if I am not happy with mine?
Yes. Clients can discharge their lawyer at any time, for any reason, by written notice. Your case file belongs to you and must be transferred to your new counsel. Any unpaid fees through the date of discharge remain owed; any unearned advance must be refunded. If you are mid-litigation, the court typically must approve the substitution, but approval is routine.
How long does an typical environmental permitting matter take?
It depends almost entirely on whether the matter is transactional or contested. A transactional matter — a contract, a filing, a single-step transaction — can resolve in days to weeks. A contested matter — anything involving disputed facts, court intervention, or regulatory action — typically takes months at minimum, and complex cases can run multiple years. Your lawyer should give you a realistic outside estimate at intake.
Are environmental permitting lawyer fees tax-deductible?
It depends on the nature of the matter and current tax law. Fees connected to producing or collecting taxable income, managing investment property, or operating a business are often deductible; fees for personal matters generally are not. Because rules change, confirm deductibility with a tax professional for the year in which the fees are paid.
What is the difference between environmental permitting and the related practice areas?
Environmental Permitting overlaps with several adjacent areas — see the related-practice-area grid below for direct links. Choosing the right lawyer often means picking the one whose primary focus matches the heart of your problem, even if multiple labels could technically apply. When you are unsure, list your situation in your own words to two lawyers from neighbouring areas and ask which one of them is the better fit; honest lawyers will tell you.
Find environmental permitting attorneys by state
Each state link below opens the environmental permitting roster for that jurisdiction, with the local statute of limitations, court-system overview, and verified attorneys.
Environmental Permitting Law Firms
Main Law Firm
Winter Park
Walton Law Firm
San Marcos
Bruner Law Firm
Fort Walton Beach
J&Y Law Firm
Los Angeles
West Law Firm
Charleston
John T. Floyd Law Firm
Houston
Environmental Permitting by State
All states →Find environmental permitting attorneys in every US state. Each state link opens a hub with verified attorneys, the state filing deadline, and a free attorney match.