|
Mr. Leonard practices in the environmental and government regulation and litigation areas, representing clients in permitting and development projects, in environmental litigation and in transactional work. He represents individuals, businesses, municipalities, state agencies and developers in matters involving both federal and state regulatory schemes, Superfund, facility siting and environmental review.
Before entering private practice, Mr. Leonard was Chief of the Environmental Protection Division of the Massachusetts Attorney General's office. In that role, he was counsel to the state environmental agencies, and he oversaw the state's enforcement litigation in federal and state courts.
Mr. Leonard also teaches in the areas in which he practices. He was a Lecturer at Northeastern Law School for 11 years and an Instructor at Harvard Law School for seven years.
Recent Matters
o Ongoing representation of the developer in military base clean up, transfer and redevelopment of the 1400 acre South Weymouth Naval Air Station.
o Counsel to the City of Boston in federal and state litigation involving the proposed construction of new runway at Logan International Airport.
o Representation of the developer in its acquisition and permitting of the former Monsanto Chemical works in Everett, Massachusetts, a badly contaminated property that has now been cleaned up and is the site of a 650,000 foot shopping center and a twenty acre waterfront park.
o Representation of Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in litigation challenging, on environmental and historic preservation grounds, the MBTA's plans to make certain subway stations handicap accessible.
o Successful negotiation of complex environmental permits, including on behalf of major New England utility and developers of commercial and residential projects.
o Representation of the Massachusetts transportation agencies on environmental matters in state and federal courts and administrative proceedings, including appointment as a Special Assistant Attorney General representing Boston's "Big Dig" Project in environmental litigation.
o Successful negotiation of settlements of environmental enforcement actions on behalf of major multinational corporations, Massachusetts-based high tech companies, major shopping center developers and others.
o Mediation of environmental disputes, including allocating millions of dollars of clean up costs between the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
Recent Speaking Engagements
o 2006 Attorney Panel, Association of Defense Communities Winter Meeting
o Chair, 2004 Boston Bar Association's MEPA Litigation Program
o Chair, 2002 Boston Bar Association Administrative Law program
o Chair, 2001 Boston Bar Association's State Superfund Litigation program
Awards & Honors
o Listed in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, as a leading environmental lawyer in Massachusetts.
o Listed in Woodward White's The Best Lawyers in America for Environmental Law.
Community Involvement
o Chair, Board of Directors, Environmental League of Massachusetts
o Board of Overseers, Bank of America Celebrity Series
o Board of Directors, Move Massachusetts
o Massachusetts delegate to the National Wildlife Federation
Bar Admissions & Memberships
o Admitted, Massachusetts and California Bars
o Admitted, United States Supreme Court and several lower federal courts
o Co-Chair of the Public Policy Committee, Boston Bar Association
o Former Chair, Environmental Litigation Committee, Boston Bar Association | 