Key Service Areas
- Environmental and Natural Resources Law
legal assistant - Emma Poteracke
Grand Rapids Location
55 Campau Avenue NW, Suite 300
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503
Hastings Location
607 N. Broadway, Suite A
Hastings, MI 49058
Holland Location
11377 James Street
Holland, Michigan 49422
About James
What types of legal issues do you help individuals and businesses resolve?
I represent businesses and individuals in disputes over natural resource development and use, in overcoming obstacles tied to development and use of contaminated property, and in facing government investigations or legal actions involving the environment or natural resources. These matters can range from practical questions, like estimating liquid waste from a proposed high school, to complex regulatory determinations, such as identifying when a solvent used in an industrial process becomes regulated hazardous waste.
How have your skills evolved in your career?
I continue to gain skills in organizing and managing the multi-disciplinary teams often required in environmental and natural resource matters.
What case did you find the most rewarding to work on?
My most rewarding case centered on a disused industrial site that led to years of investigation and issues arising under several environmental and resource laws, in turn leading to novel legal strategies and tasks, new methods of developing and presenting factual information, and carrying out community relations on a large scale. The result was a clear success.
Education
University of Wisconsin Law School, J.D., cum laude, 1998
University of Wisconsin, BS Natural Sciences, with Distinction, 1979
