A sizable component of our environmental practice focuses on clients engaged in natural resource development, including mineral development, energy and petroleum production, and water rights. These clients range from entities engaged in coal and hard-rock miners and municipalities managing water-use practices in the Southwest to developers and landowners connected to shale gas formations such as the Marcellus Shale natural gas field in Pennsylvania and surrounding states.
Clients rely on our environmental attorneys for guidance in complying with the many laws governing natural resources. Our mineral clients look to us for representation in connection with their mineral exploration, development, operation, transport, and production projects. We routinely handle compliance and remediation issues involving natural resource extraction projects and we work closely with our Energy and Project Finance Group on related matters such as project siting and the creation of interstate pipeline systems. Our clients include public land users, so we defend projects on federal and state land facing allegations based on impacts on the environment and sensitive species.
Water Law
Ballard Spahr's water law practitioners have experience handling the influential components of western water law, including the appropriation doctrine, "Law of the River," groundwater management, and Indian water rights and tribal law. Team members include attorneys from the firm's Litigation, Energy and Project Finance, P3/Infrastructure, Real Estate, Environment and Natural Resources, and Gaming groups. Deeply rooted in the West, our water law group stands out among similar regional practices because of its springboard: an interdisciplinary firm with a national setting and claim to solid international experience.