Experience

Renewable Energy Transactions (Real Estate and Land Use)

• Advise and assist renewable energy companies acquiring early and development stage projects and operation-stage portfolios of 20-40+ projects, particularly on real estate and site control.
• Regularly support transactions by drafting real estate documents and reviewing proposed contracts.
• Advised on land use issues related to geothermal development in Washington and California.
• Advised on land use issues related to sage grouse habitat impacted by a proposed solar project in southern Oregon.
• Regularly provide land use permitting summaries for early-stage renewable projects in Washington and Oregon.

Other Transactions

• Representation of buyer in purchase of commercial building in downtown Seattle.
• Representation of Idaho mall owner is the sale of a tenancy-in-common interest, allowing purchase to qualify as Like-Kind Exchange.
• Representation of buyer in purchase of a moving truck rental business Idaho.
• Representation of small business owner in sale of traffic control business in Idaho.
• Representation of nonprofit seeking change in nonconforming use on exclusive farm use land in Oregon.
• Regularly advise ranch owners and buyers on real estate and land use issues, including on easements and mineral rights.

Tribal Lands and Native American Law

• Provided land use advice on Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) development on fee land within Indian country.
• Advised on Traditional Cultural Values under the National Historic Preservation Act as it relates to development of renewable project in Washington.
• Drafted memorandum of understanding between a Pacific Northwest Tribe and timber management company.

Contaminated Sites and Brownfield Development

• Provided land use and permitting advice on development of renewable natural gas facilities in Washington and Oregon.
• Provided land use advice and risk assessment of proposed solar development on landfills in Maine and New York.
• Supported contaminated site risk mitigation on purchase of early-stage solar project.
• Advised developer on development of renewable energy facilities on brownfields.
• Advised developer on evaluating closed and abandoned coal mines for renewable energy development.
• Evaluated contaminated waterfront for commercial developer.
• Regularly review Phase I Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs) for consistency with landowner defenses under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).

Other Legal Advice

• Advised on acquisition of Oregon and California Lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
• Advised on real estate brokerage license requirements for renewable energy developers in various states.
• Advised on wildfire liability arising out of certain timber management operations in Washington and Montana.
• Advised on mineral development in southern Nevada.

Honors & Activities

• Harvard Cabin Advisory Board, Board Member, 2020–present
• Casa Hogar Luz Alba Orphanage, Volunteer, Arequipa, Peru, 2013
• United Youth Courts of Alaska: President of the Board (2005–2007); Secretary of the Board (2003–2004)
• Alaska Governor’s Volunteer of the Year, 2006

Insights & Presentations

• “California Energy Commission Discusses Draft Report on Offshore Wind,” Stoel Rives Renewable + Law^® blog, May 19, 2022
• “Slow but steady progress for offshore wind development on the West Coast” (co-author), Puget Sound Business Journal, May 2, 2022
• “California and Oregon Sail Forward on Offshore Wind” (co-author), POWER magazine, April 1, 2022
• “BOEM Announces Offshore Wind Call Areas in Oregon and Historic Lease Sale in the New York Bight,” Stoel Rives Renewable + Law^® blog, February 2022
• “Oregon Department of Energy Seeks Stakeholder Input on Floating Offshore Wind Development,” Stoel Rives Renewable + Law^® blog, January 2022
• “Biden Administration Revokes Trump Administration MBTA Rule and Initiates Rulemaking for MBTA Incidental Take Permitting Program,” Stoel Rives Renewable + Law^® blog, October 2021
• “Coming Home: Bringing Engineers Back to the Infantry,” Marine Corps Gazette, October 2016

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