Jeffery “J.W.” Ring

Jeffery “J.W.” Ring

Partner

J.W. represents large and small businesses, U.S. and foreign corporations and boards of directors, cities, special districts, port authorities and individuals in the areas of environmental and natural resources law, ocean law, administrative law and regulatory compliance, water rights, mining law, health and safety, energy and transportation development, general commercial law and litigation.  J.W. has significant trial experience having lead litigation in thirty-eight States and three U.S. Territories.  His litigation practice includes major case litigation in the areas of commercial law, civil rights, environmental law (both civil and criminal), real property, land use, regulatory law and the full range of natural resources issues.

J.W.’s practice has included the representation of his clients before federal, state and local regulatory authorities, boards, hearing officers and administrative judges.  That work, together with his work as a lead trial lawyer in federal and state courtrooms throughout the United States, has involved all environmental media, health and safety concerns, energy generation, environmental management, public and private infrastructure construction, new manufacturing facility permitting, municipal drinking water and sewage, marine terminal and airport construction, public records and meetings, public official and employee ethics, real estate disputes, public and private housing, Superfund,  air, water and waste permitting, environmental professional liability, environmental disclosure requirements, toxic torts, and criminal environmental defense.    J.W. focuses on bringing innovative, cost-effective and cost-reducing counseling and compliance strategies to the regulated community as well as cost-efficient litigation representation to litigants in federal and state courts.

A significant component of J.W.’s practice involves work as an integrated component of client teams that include public entity staffs and managers, industry associations, private client managers and employees, technical consultants and experts, and elected officials.  J.W. and the other members of Ring Bender’s Environmental Law and Litigation practice groups draw upon a wide range of unique skills, years of experience and expertise by working as a team to effectively serve clients’ needs.  This teamwork approach allows the group to provide clients with prompt, high quality, effective and creative advice and solutions to even the most complex legal issues.

J.W.’s past experience in the private sector includes time as a partner in the San Francisco headquartered firm of Heller Ehrman, and as a partner in the Seattle headquartered firm of Preston Gates & Ellis (now K&L Gates).  Prior to entering private practice, J.W. was employed by the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s offices in Boise and Miami as a senior trial lawyer representing the United States and a number of federal departments, including the Environmental Protection Agency, the Departments of Interior, Defense, Commerce, State and Housing and Urban Development as well as the FBI and U.S. Secret Service.  While with the Justice Department, J.W. was a senior instructor with the Attorney General’s Advocacy Institute, teaching federal lawyers trial practice skills, and at the FBI Academy teaching federal agents environmental investigation techniques.  Since entering private practice, J.W. has been a frequent instructor and lecturer at seminars as well as law and graduate schools.  He has also been recognized by Best Lawyers in 2024 in Environmental Law.

Representative Matters

• Representing a coalition of oil companies in a complex criminal environmental investigation;
• Representing a CEO and Board of Directors in a citizens’ enforcement suit brought under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act;
• Representing a major oil company in conjunction with marine vessel spills in European waters;
• Prosecuting the first criminal case in the nation under the Toxic Substances Control Act;
• Representing a former ship repair company in negotiations with EPA and other potentially responsible parties at the nation’s largest Superfund Site, in both the response cost allocation and NRDA allocation processes;
• Representing a coalition of municipal water providers in a contested case involving protests to their water rights before a State Water Resources Department;
• Defending an environmental engineering firm in conjunction with an investigation into the mishandling radioactive waste;
• Representing an American manufacturing company in conjunction with its acquisition of a Hong Kong based competitor;
• Representing numerous municipalities on issues related to their water delivery systems, including the development and preservation of water rights;
• Representing the United States in Courts in the United Kingdom in conjunction with the activities of American Naval Vessels;
• Representing a municipality with a combined sewer system regarding compliance with its NPDES permit;
• Representing Italy in conjunction with the siting of a large manufacturing facility in the United States;
• Representing a Danish manufacturer in conjunction with the establishment of new facilities in France;
• Representing an online internet company in federal regulatory litigation;
• Representing a municipality in negotiations with state regulatory agencies and private stakeholders in a major public works project involving the replacement of an aging sewer line with a state of the art buoyant line through a lake, including advising the municipality regarding public contracting and insurance issues;
• Representing a marine terminal builder in conjunction with siting facilities in southern India;
• Defending a major chemical company in a complex and massive groundwater contamination litigation;
• Counseling the former owner of a contaminated property regarding transfer of remedial obligations to the new owner;
• Representing the current owners of multiple commercial properties in conjunction with soil and groundwater contamination and property transfers;
• Representing a chemical company named as a potentially responsible party at a former drum reconditioning Superfund Site;
• Representing a mining company in conjunction with the cleanup of a contaminated marine sediment site in Australia;
• Defending a multinational corporation in enforcement proceedings brought by the Occupational Safety & Health Division and provide ongoing counsel regarding compliance with OSHA;
• Defended a mining contractor in enforcement proceedings brought by the federal Mine Safety & Health Administration and provide ongoing counsel regarding compliance with MSHA;
• Representing and counseling a multinational allergen manufacturing company in negotiations with EPA regarding wastewater pretreatment issues at its facilities in multiple States;
• Representing an American mining company in conjunction with federal Clean Water Act enforcement proceedings;
• Representing the developer of a proposed liquefied natural gas terminal on various aspects of local, state and federal permitting issues and consultation under the Endangered Species Act;
• Representing a tribal corporation regarding tax implications of an online business;
• Representing an American Steel Manufacturer in conjunction with the transportation, release, and disposal of hazardous waste;
• Representing a trial Judge in conjunction with allegations of malfeasance;
• Representing a microchip manufacturer in conjunction with Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act permitting;
• Representing an environmental consulting firm in conjunction with a federal Criminal Clean Water Act investigation;
• Counseling a food manufacturer regarding upgrading its national environmental compliance program;
• Representation of a Public Utility in conjunction with medications to an air operating permit;
• Representing a major American Bank in conjunction with its acquisition of heavily contaminated urban properties;
• Testifying as an expert witness on American Environmental Law on behalf of Canada in the Canadian Courts and on behalf of the United States in court in the United Kingdom.