Harry Weiss

Harry Weiss

Partner He / Him / His
Philadelphia

Harry Weiss is Practice Leader of Ballard Spahr’s Environment and Natural Resources Group, and administers the Group’s practice across the country. 

Harry provides an array of clients with compliance advice arising out of new federal and state environmental regulations.

In addition to regulatory work, Harry concentrates on redevelopment of contaminated properties and other environmental issues in the development context, such as storm water management during construction, wetlands permitting, and endangered or threatened species. Harry has represented buyers, sellers, and redevelopers of brownfield and other contaminated property in more than 100 transactions. He has helped clients clear environmental hurdles in a broad variety of projects, including manufacturing facilities, retail complexes, warehouses, multifamily housing, pipelines, and a Major League Baseball stadium.

Experience 

Representative Matters

Shale Oil, Gas, and Mineral Experience

  • Represented the United States Bankruptcy Trustee in administering the upkeep and operation of the nation's largest rare earth mineral mine, the former Molycorp Minerals, LLC property in Mountain Pass, CA
  • Represented a New Mexico-based investor in effort to purchase out of Chapter 11 proceedings bankruptcy more than 250,000 net mineral acres of San Juan formation and other deep oil and gas rights in New Mexico and in Colorado.
  • Represented a Colorado-based investor in effort to purchase out of Chapter 11 proceedings 25,000 net mineral acres of Marcellus, Utica, and other deep oil and gas rights in Eastern Ohio and Western Pennsylvania.

Professional Highlights

Professional Activities

American Bar Association

Recognition & Accomplishments

Chambers USA, Environmental Law (Pennsylvania), 2008-2023

The Best Lawyers in America, Environmental Law (Philadelphia), 2013-2024

Speaking Engagements

"Philadelphia's Green City, Clean Waters Program: Five-Year Progress Report," Ballard Spahr's Green Infrastructure Conference, Philadelphia, October 13, 2016

"Confronting Confounding Environmental Hysteria," Higher Education Real Estate Lawyers Conference, Hanover, New Hampshire, September 15, 2016

"Avoiding or Minimizing the Impacts of Federal and State Stormwater Enforcement under the Clean Water Act," Ballard Spahr's Green Infrastructure Conference, Philadelphia, October 29, 2015 

Board Memberships & Community Service

Advisory Committee of the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education (www.schuylkillcenter.org), past Chair, Board of Trustees; Center is Philadelphia-based and considered the nation's leading urban environmental education center

Publications

Co-author, "UPenn Fracking Study Can't Give Plaintiffs Causation," Law360, July 30, 2015 

Author, Pennsylvania Oil and Gas Law and Practice, published by George T. Bisel Company, Inc., 2012 and 2014 editions

Co-author, "The Future of Oil, Gas Drilling in the Delaware River Basin," BNA's Daily Report for Executives, January 23, 2012

"The Marcellus Shale and Mortgage Banking: Spotting the Issues," PFI Insider: The Quarterly Newsletter for FHLBank Pittsburgh, 2nd Quarter 2011

Credentials 

Education

Temple University James E. Beasley School of Law (J.D., with honors, 1990)

Pennsylvania State University (B.A., with honors, 1984)

Admissions

New Jersey

Pennsylvania

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

U.S. District Court for the District of of New Jersey

U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals

U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals