Ankur Tohan, Nationally Recognized Environmental Attorney, Joins Stoel Rives in Seattle

Stoel Rives, an AmLaw 200 law firm, today announced Ankur Tohan, a nationally recognized environmental lawyer, has joined the firm as a partner in its Seattle office. Tohan arrives from K&L Gates, where he served as a co-leader of the firmwide Environment, Land, and Natural Resources practice group and co-chair of the firm’s Carbon Solutions group, and where he built one of the nation’s most sophisticated practices focused on energy infrastructure, natural resource development, carbon management, and complex environmental litigation.

Tohan’s practice spans renewable energy development, carbon capture and sequestration, energy infrastructure, and complex regulatory compliance under federal and state environmental laws. He brings a unique blend of private-practice leadership, government service, including roles with EPA Region 10 and the Washington Attorney General’s Office, and long-standing relationships throughout Washington’s environmental regulatory community.

“Over the years, I’ve worked extensively with Washington’s regulatory agencies and many of the businesses that drive the state’s economy, frequently in partnership with Stoel Rives lawyers,” Tohan said. “That experience has given me deep respect for the firm’s work and its reputation as a premier environmental and energy practice nationally and in the Pacific Northwest. Stoel Rives’ commitment to collaboration, mentorship, and inclusion aligns closely with my own values, and I look forward to helping advance the firm’s growth and impact.”

Prior to his time at K&L Gates, Tohan served as an assistant regional counsel for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for more than six years, where he worked on multifaceted environmental enforcement, civil defense, and permitting issues. He also served as lead counsel on Clean Water Act Region 10 wetland enforcement actions and regulatory issues and assisted on oil and gas permitting and forestry matters. He has deep relationships with agency personnel at the Washington Department of Ecology and EPA Region 10.

“Ankur is both well-known and highly respected in the environmental and energy permitting space, both for his sophisticated work and his long-standing agency relationships,” said David Filippi, Chair of Stoel Rives’ Environmental practice group. “His arrival strengthens our Seattle presence at a pivotal time for the region’s energy and industrial sectors. He is exactly the kind of leader who will help us meet growing client demand and we are delighted to welcome him to our team.”

Tohan is known for his technical fluency in environmental and energy law, his work advising on permitting, enforcement defense, and carbon-credit transactions, and his ability to help clients navigate rapidly changing climate and environmental regulations.

“We are thrilled to welcome Ankur to Stoel,” said Stoel Rives Seattle Office Managing Partner Maren Norton. “He brings a vibrant practice, unrivaled expertise, and stellar reputation throughout the environmental bar and Seattle community. Ankur’s addition to our already nationally-recognized environmental practice will greatly expand the range of work we can deliver to our clients.”

An industry thought leader, Tohan is a frequent speaker and contributor to legal and environmental industry events and publications. He contributed to and edited Chapter Six of The American Bar Association’s Clean Water Act Handbook on “Pre-Treatment and Indirect Discharges,” edited the “Clean Water Act” chapter of the Environmental Law Institute’s Law of Environmental Protection handbook, and serves on the advisory board for Cleantech Alliance’s Washington Energy Carbon Advancement Network (WECAN).

Tohan’s industry accolades include being named “Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers^© for Energy Regulatory Law and Natural Resources Law in Seattle; and being selected as one of “America’s Leading Lawyers for Business,” by Chambers USA (Environment).

Tohan received his J.D. from Lewis & Clark Law School, his M.S. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and his B.A. from the University of Vermont.