Biography

John's practice focuses on environmental and energy law, project development, and environmental quality review of project proposals.

He assists clients in permitting, regulatory compliance, and enforcement matters involving waste management and disposal, hazardous wastes, bulk storage, wastewater, and air emissions. He advises clients with regard to remediation of contaminated properties and brownfield development, particularly on properties involving multiple ownership interests and complicated histories. He also advises and represents property owners and developers with regard to laws governing the development and use of waterfront and wetland properties.

John works with project development teams in planning, permitting, contracting, and transactions in support of large-scale development. This work has included energy and transmission projects on brownfields and municipally-owned properties, as well as submarine and wetland installations. Environmental impact review is a fundamental part of this work, and John helps clients manage the process to streamline review in support of reliable and defensible agency approvals.

John’s litigation practice includes federal and state class action defense, cost recovery, enforcement defense, and defense of citizen suits on behalf of site owners and operators, municipalities, and past owners of contaminated properties.

While at Pace University School of Law, John was awarded the White Plains Bar Association's Environmental Law Scholar Award. He served as Managing Editor of the Pace Environmental Law Review for 2002-2003. Before entering law school, John served in the U.S. Peace Corps in the Republic of Moldova, where he was an Associate Professor of English at the Moldovan state university.

Education

  • Boston University  (B.A., 1990)
    • English
  • Pace University  (J.D., magna cum laude, 2003)

Bar Admissions

  • New York
  • District of Columbia

Court Admissions

  • U.S. Court of Appeals - Second Circuit
  • U.S. District Court – Southern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court – Eastern District of New York

Professional Affiliations

  • American Bar Association, Section of Environment, Energy and Resources
  • New York State Bar Association, Environmental Law Section

Honors & Awards

  • Chambers and Partners – USA, ranked Band 4 in Environmental Law (2021-2023)
  • The Best Lawyers in America©, a Best Lawyers® publication, recognition in Environmental Law (2023-2024)
  • The Legal 500, recognized in Environmental Litigation (2022, 2023)
  • The Legal 500, recognized in Environmental Regulatory Law (2021)
  • Super Lawyers, part of Thomson Reuters, New York Super Lawyer (2016-2023)
  • Super Lawyers, part of Thomson Reuters, New York Rising Star (2013-2014)

Languages

  • Romanian (proficiency)