It’s easy to view regulatory issues, especially environmental issues, as very black-and-white. After spending years representing clients in regulated industries, and meeting and working with the people that are at the heart of those industries, the nuances reveal themselves. It’s not business versus the environment—it’s much more complicated than that. I truly believe that we’re past the point of “midnight dumpers,” and that most businesses want to comply with the law and operate in a sustainable way. I work with my clients to find that place on the Venn diagram where compliance and successful business operations intersect.
My Approach
I’m a regulatory geek, and I am happy to own that label. I love digging into a problem for a client, analyzing all of the laws and regulations along with the client’s situation, and coming up with a solution. With my undergraduate education in Zoology, I apply the rigorous logic of the sciences to day-to-day business issues. I don’t forget that regulatory issues can seem arcane, but they have real-world impacts on real people’s lives and livelihoods.
I help clients understand the regulatory landscape and work with them to develop strategies to bring them into compliance, or keep them in compliance. I also work to make sure that clients understand their rights and obligations under regulations and how to navigate the regulatory structure to reduce liability and risk and most importantly, achieve business goals.
As a former in-house attorney, I understand the pressures and dynamics at issue when working with outside counsel on sensitive and high-profile matters because I’ve been the client. As a result, I understand how outside counsel can make life easier for attorney clients, and how not to add to an already-full plate.
Outside of work, I love spending time with my family, playing tennis, reading literature of varying quality, and going outside whenever I can.
An Evolved Perspective
Practice Areas
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Environmental
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Energy Legislative & Regulatory
Bold Perspectives
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Honors & Awards
The Best Lawyers in America©
Minneapolis Lawyer of the Year: Environmental Law, 2022
Environmental Law, 2005–2011, 2021-2025
Energy Law, 2021-2025
Administrative/Regulatory Law, 2025
MSBA North Star Lawyers
Pro Bono Service, 2019-2020, 2023
Super Lawyers®
Environmental, 2008–2011
Top 100 Women Lawyers in Minnesota
Super Lawyers®, 2008
Minnesota Justice Foundation Private Practice Award
2008
Associations & Memberships
Minnesota State Bar Association
Environmental, Natural Resources and Energy Law Section, Council Member
Environmental and Natural Resources Law Section, Past Chair, 2004-2005
Minnesota Brownfields
President, 2022-present
Board of Directors, 2020-2022
Children’s Law Center of Minnesota
Volunteer attorney
University of St. Thomas Law School
Adjunct professor, Environmental Law, 2010-2011
University of Minnesota
Adjunct professor, Environmental Law Moot Court, 2006-2009
Fund for Legal Aid
Board of Directors
