Perkins Coie Continues Expansion Of National Environment Practice With Addition Of Five Attorneys

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, DENVER, CO, and WASHINGTON, D.C.  (April 18, 2011) – Perkins Coie has added three partners, one Of Counsel and one associate to its Environment, Energy & Resources practice.  Based in the San Francisco office, Julie Jones joins as partner, Marie Cooper joins as Of Counsel and Alan Murphy joins as associate. Robert Thibault joins Perkins Coie's Denver office as partner, and LeAnn Johnson Koch joins as partner in Washington, D.C.

"We are very pleased to welcome these talented attorneys," said Tom Lindley, Environment, Energy & Resources Chair. "Their capabilities are a terrific complement to our existing premier EER practice and will serve as an invaluable resource to our clients."

Jones counsels clients and litigates regarding issues that arise under the California Environmental Quality Act, the Planning and Zoning Law, the National Environmental Policy Act, the Coastal Zone Management Act and a range of other California and federal statutes and common law doctrines that affect land use.  Cooper's practice also focuses on CEQA, land use development, entitlement processing and litigation, with substantial experience in challenging and defending land use entitlements, general plan and zoning enactments, development fees and dedications, annexation proceedings and initiatives and referenda; she is also actively involved in water rights issues.  Murphy has represented private entities, public agencies, and energy companies in securing and defending land use entitlements.  They join from Bingham McCutchen.

Thibault represents clients in energy law and commercial litigation matters, emphasizing domestic and international oil and gas transactions as well as oil and gas, environmental, and administrative agency litigation.  He joins from Patton Boggs. 

Johnson Koch brings 20 years of experience representing the petroleum refining industry and other energy sector clients on environmental compliance, enforcement, permitting, transactions and emergencies, with a special emphasis on the Clean Air Act and its related requirements.  She joins from DLA Piper.

Perkins Coie recently added seven attorneys to the Environment, Energy & Resources (EER) practice: Cecily Barclay, Matthew Gray, Stephen Kostka, Geoffrey Robinson and Barbara Schussman in San Francisco; L. John Iani in Seattle; and Paul B. Smyth in Washington, D.C. These attorneys join more than 70 Perkins Coie attorneys focused on environmental, energy, and resource matters.  Information on our EER practice is found at http://www.perkinscoie.com/environment_energy_resources/.