Shannon E. Nelson
Associate
she/her/hers
Shannon’s practice is focused on the intersection of public health and environmental law. She counsels clients on a range of issues, including emerging contaminants, environmental review, brownfield redevelopment, and renewable energy development. She has worked on matters arising under the Clean Air Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), as well as various state analogs.
Shannon was previously a Clinical Teaching Fellow at the Emmett Environmental Law and Policy Clinic at Harvard Law School where she supervised student-attorneys and co-taught the clinical seminar. Before that, Shannon worked as an associate in Marten Law’s Seattle Office. Shannon graduated from the University of Michigan Law School where she was a Dow Sustainability Fellow and a Notes Editor on the Michigan Journal of Law Reform. She also received a Master of Public Health in Environmental Health Promotion and Policy from the University of Michigan School of Public Health. As a graduate student, Shannon taught undergraduate courses in environmental law and human health and the environment.
- Advise local government client on Notice of Construction permit conditions under Clean Air Act for expansion of wastewater treatment plant.
- Advised a state attorney general’s office on strategy related to litigation over federal environmental data removal.
- Led review in complex internal investigation for multinational energy company in response to state inquiry regarding releases of toxic contaminants into environment.
- Completed internal investigation for multinational energy company into seller’s knowledge of equipment deficiencies potentially contributing to fugitive emissions at a purchased facility and advised on related indemnity strategy against seller.
- Counsel to multiple real estate clients developing brownfield sites throughout all stages of cleanup negotiations with the Washington Department of Ecology and other potentially liable parties.
- Counsel to agricultural client in defense of challenges to land exchange under FLPMA and NEPA.
- Advised timber client on establishment of 177952 square mile Sourcing Area under the Forest Resources Conservation and Shortage Relief Act.
- J.D., University of Michigan Law School (2022)
- M.P.H., University of Michigan School of Public Health (2022)
- B.A., Wesleyan University (2014)
- Washington
