(Washington, DC): The Environmental Law Institute (ELI) is delighted to announce six new members have joined its Leadership Council: James Colopy; Gwendolyn Keyes Fleming; William H. Hyatt, Jr.; Rachel Jacobson; Janice Schneider; and Hongjun Zhang, Ph.D. “We are so fortunate to have these six outstanding attorneys join the ranks of our Leadership Council,” said ELI Leadership Council Kathy Robb. “ELI’s vision is a healthy environment, prosperous economies, and vibrant communities founded on the rule of law. As esteemed thought-leaders in the field of environmental law and policy, these newest members will bring valuable guidance and expertise to our organization as we continue our path making law work for people, places, and the planet.”
- Jim Colopy is a partner and former chair of the Environmental Law Department at Farella Braun + Martel in San Francisco. He has over 25 years of specialized experience representing industry and developers in all forms of environmental litigation and counseling matters in federal and state courts across the country, including enforcement actions and actions involving CERCLA, RCRA, the Clean Water Act, and other federal and state statutory and common law claims.
- Gwendolyn Keyes Fleming is partner at Van Ness Feldman in Washington, DC, where her focus is on environmental law and policy. She also provides counsel on national security matters related to incident response and the protection of environmental and energy infrastructure from cyber and physical threats. Ms. Fleming has more than 20 years of public sector experience, most recently serving as the Principal Legal Advisor for Immigration & Customs Enforcement in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and as Chief of Staff for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency during the Obama Administration.
- William H. Hyatt, Jr., is a partner in the Newark, NJ, office of K&L Gates, concentrating in environmental law and related litigation. He has extensive Superfund experience and has frequently represented parties before the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and counterpart state regulatory agencies, and in cost recovery and contribution litigation. Mr. Hyatt was also selected as a pilot allocator in EPA’s Superfund administrative reforms and has acted as a special master and mediator.
- Rachel Jacobson is Special Counsel at WilmerHale in Washington, DC, where she advises clients facing complex regulatory and litigation challenges related to compliance with environmental laws, Superfund cleanup, natural resource damages, wildlife management, and energy development. Ms. Jacobson has more than 30 years’ experience working in the federal government, holding senior positions at the U.S. Department of Defense, Department of the Interior, and Department of Justice.
- Janice Schneider is a partner in the Washington, DC, office of Latham & Watkins and global Vice Chair of the Environment, Land & Resources Department. She has over 30 years of experience in environmental and natural resource issues and represents clients across a broad range of energy, environmental, and American Indian law matters. Prior to rejoining Latham in 2017, Ms. Schneider served as Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management for the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), where she oversaw four DOI agencies – the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, and the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement – with a combined budget of $1.5 billion. She previously held other positions in the private sector and with the Department of Justice and DOI.
- Hongjun Zhang, Ph.D., is a Partner with Holland & Knight in Washington, DC. Dr. Zhang advises clients on a broad range of regulatory compliance and government relation matters in China as they pertain to environmental protection, energy efficiency, chemical management, and product stewardship. Prior to entering private practice, Dr. Zhang was a legislative director in China's National People's Congress, where he was responsible for drafting national laws and policy documents and overseeing national and local government implementation of the laws. Dr. Zhang serves as a Special Advisor to the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED), which is composed of senior leaders and executives of government, business, and nongovernment organizations around the world and provides policy recommendations to the Chinese government.
The ELI Leadership Council is the Institute’s group for the most prominent environment, energy, and natural resource leaders in the nation. The Council recognizes leaders for their commitment of resources and time to the Institute’s vision of a healthy environment, prosperous economies, and vibrant communities founded on the rule of law. Members participate in events and have a chance to network and engage other leaders in discussions about key environmental law and policy issues.