Barnes & Thornburg LLP announced today that Michael H. Elam has joined the firm’s Chicago office as a partner in the Environmental Law Department.
A former partner at global law firm DLA Piper, Elam is a highly regarded attorney with more than 20 years of private practice experience representing some of the nation’s largest companies in environment, energy and natural resource law, policy and risk management. Prior to that, Elam held senior legal and managerial positions at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Washington, D.C., headquarters. He was special assistant to the assistant administrator for enforcement, handling special projects for EPA, the Department of Justice and the U.S. Congress. He also served as acting Deputy Regional Counsel for the EPA Region 5, Chicago office.
“We are pleased to add an attorney of Michael’s stature to the Chicago office,” said Mark Rust, managing partner of Barnes & Thornburg’s Chicago office. “His addition reinforces Barnes & Thornburg’s national reputation as a leader in environmental law and proves our continued ability to attract the industry’s top legal talent. We welcome him to the firm.”
“Michael is an important addition to our strong team of attorneys at the forefront of helping clients nationwide and internationally better understand and address environmental and energy issues that impact their businesses,” said Fredric P. Andes, Chicago administrator of the Environmental Law Department. “His deep experience in working with diverse constituencies affected by environmental issues will also add tremendous value to our environmental practice.”
Attorneys in Barnes & Thornburg’s Environmental Law Department represent business, governmental and utility clients of all sizes throughout the country in a wide range of environmental matters, including litigation, compliance counseling and audits, permitting, insurance recovery, remediation, and identifying and allocating responsibility for environmental issues in real estate and business transactions.
“I’m excited to join the talented and expanding environmental law group at Barnes & Thornburg. My particular skills, experiences and contacts in the public and private sector will complement Barnes’ reputation of providing high quality and cost-effective counsel for virtually any environmental, energy or natural resource related matter. I look forward to collaborating with my new colleagues as we grow the practice in new and challenging directions.”
Elam’s practice addresses a broad array of environmental, energy and natural resource laws and commercial issues. His work includes securing permits, approvals and complex agreements related to the development, remediation and financing of environmentally challenged or controversial projects and enforcement actions. He represents clients in complex disputes and litigation and is well known for securing creative and cutting-edge settlements for his clients, particularly with respect to infrastructure and energy-related projects.
About Michael Elam
Elam’s work involves all aspects of acquiring, selling, developing, financing and leasing of properties, businesses or projects that have significant environmental sensitivities or concerns, complex permits, regulatory oversight and approval issues, or complicated funding and sensitive public relations and political issues associated with them. Elam has counseled clients and coordinated teams addressing the siting, permitting, construction, sale and financing of gas, coal and wind generation facilities, transmission lines, refineries and pipelines.
His experience with all aspects of remediation and water-related issues includes investigating, containing and treating subsurface soil, sediments and ground water, as well as dredging, capping, grouting, water impoundments and construction related to rivers, harbors, lakes, dams and water supplies. His understanding of and relationship with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), governmental agencies and capital markets facilitates securing siting approvals and air and water permits for clients, as well as financing for capital projects.
Globally, he has experience with substantial infrastructure projects and business transactions in challenging countries, including Iraq, where he worked with the U.S. State Department and represented the Government of Iraq in negotiations with numerous corporations, countries and NGOs on multibillion-dollar energy and infrastructure matters. Elam continues to represent companies doing business in Iraq.
Elam represented the U.S. government in some of its most visible and complex environmental remediation, policy and litigation matters. Earlier in his career, Elam collected and analyzed water, sediment and soil samples for the state of Indiana, and was a physical scientist for the EPA.
Elam is a member of the American Bar Association, Indiana State Bar Association and Illinois State Bar Association. He has received awards from the Department of Justice as well as from the EPA in recognition of his work.
Elam earned a J.D. from Indiana University School of Law and a B.A. from Macalester College. He also studied International Law at Universite libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium, and Water Resources at Colorado College. He received Phi Beta Kappa and Martindale AV Preeminent peer rating recognitions.
