Permitting Challenges in Data Center Construction: Federal and State Regulatory Update, Permitting Strategies

Mr. Rieser has more than three decades of experience advising clients in all areas of environmental law, including legislative, regulatory, compliance, and law enforcement matters, corporate, commercial, and real estate transactions, governmental and private cost-recovery actions, environmental insurance coverage, and remediation of contaminated sites. He serves Fortune 100 and mid-sized companies operating in a broad range of industries, including power generation, chemicals, petroleum, steel, food and consumer products, financial services, and waste management. In the legislative and regulatory arena, Mr. Rieser has represented trade associations, industry groups, and individual companies in numerous matters involving the U.S. EPA and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. He also represented power generating companies in permitting and administrative proceedings, and prepared responses to agency requests for information regarding CAA issues. An experienced litigator, Mr. Rieser has argued cases in federal and state courts, including a recent victory in the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, in which he represented a coalition seeking to preserve commercial navigation in the Chicago waterways. Other matters have included cost recovery and enforcement actions.

Mr. Smith’s practice focuses on land use, governmental and regulatory permitting, real estate and shoreline development, renewable energy, aquaculture and fisheries law, and tribal law. His experience includes counseling clients through all required local, state, and federal regulatory proceedings, including environmental and regulatory due diligence, representation of clients at administrative and regulatory hearings, negotiation of permit terms and conditions, state and federal environmental review, processing subdivision maps, negotiation of public-private partnerships and development agreements, development of specific plans, coordination of public relations and outreach efforts, negotiation of purchase and sale agreements and lease agreements, and litigation arising from regulatory approvals or denials. Mr. Smith assists clients with complex regulatory, permitting, and enforcement matters under a range of environmental statutes. This experience includes working on a variety of projects, including mixed use commercial and residential projects, wind and solar energy facilities, sports and entertainment facilities, marinas, and water-based and land-based aquaculture and fisheries facilities.