Discussing Various Regulatory Topics
September 24, 2020
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Attorneys Walter Wright, Jordan Wimpy, Michele Allgood, John Bryant and Stuart Spencer presented during the Halfmoon Arkansas Water Laws and Regulations Seminars. The group presented on various topics including compliance with water quality laws, water project development issues, financing water and wastewater projects and water ethics from an environmental context.
Wright has more than 30 years of experience in environmental, energy (petroleum marketing) and water law. His expertise includes counseling clients on issues involving environmental permits, compliance strategies, enforcement defense, property redevelopment issues, environmental impact statements and procurement/management of water rights. He routinely advises developers, lenders, petroleum marketers and others about effective strategies for structuring real estate and corporate transactions to address environmental financial risks. A unique part of his practice has been drafting and the negotiation of a variety of specialized agreements involving the sale or consignment of motor fuels along with the ancillary agreements associated with the upstream segment of the petroleum industry. Since 1989, Wright has served as an adjunct professor of Environmental Law and Hazardous Substances Law at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law. He is the author of the Arkansas Environmental, Energy and Water Law blog.
Wimpy is an environmental, agriculture, energy and natural resources lawyer. He regularly represents trade associations, utilities and business clients in administrative rulemaking matters and all aspects of the environmental permitting, compliance and enforcement processes. He also advises and provides counsel to landowners negotiating conservation easements, utility easements, surface use agreements and environmental mitigation/reclamation standards for energy infrastructure projects.
Allgood has extensive experience in all areas of municipal finance, including bond counsel, underwriter’s counsel, issuer’s counsel, trustee’s counsel, purchaser’s counsel and borrower’s counsel. She represents state agencies, cities, counties, facility boards and commissions in matters of capital improvement and economic development projects. Allgood has experience in taxable, tax exempt, public and private municipal finance transactions and advises clients in general corporate law, business transactions and government relations in matters of public finance law.
Bryant focuses his practice primarily in the area of public finance, with experience in taxable and tax-exempt and public and private finance transactions. He has served as lead counsel for transactions involving multiple types of issuers across the State of Arkansas and across the country. Bryant regularly serves in a variety of roles including bond counsel, underwriter’s counsel, issuer’s counsel, trustee’s counsel and borrower’s counsel.
Spencer focuses his practice on environmental, energy, and natural resources issues. His wealth of environmental and regulatory experience was gained from having served in various legal and managerial positions at the Arkansas Division of Environmental Quality (DEQ) for roughly 10 years. At DEQ, Spencer served as the Office of Air Quality (OAQ) Associate Director. In his role as OAQ Associate Director, he was the senior manager of major Clean Air Act programs including implementation of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards, Title V and New Source Review permitting, the Clean Power Plan and its successor, the Affordable Clean Energy Rule and Regional Haze. He also served as DEQ's Legal Policy Advisor and as General Counsel and served as an attorney in DEQ’s Office of Law and Policy. He applies his broad experience as an environmental regulator to advise industry clients on a wide range of complex legal issues.
About Halfmoon Education, Inc.
Halfmoon Education, Inc. is a nonprofit continuing education provider located in Altoona, WI. Its goal is to provide affordable quality continuing education activities that keep participants current and competitive in their profession. The organization takes pride in every activity it individually crafts and values each and every customer who entrusts it for their educational needs.
About Mitchell Williams
Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard, P.L.L.C. is a full-service corporate law firm that provides strategic, comprehensive legal services to help clients achieve their goals. Established in 1954, the firm has offices in Little Rock, Rogers and Jonesboro, Arkansas and Austin, Texas. For more information, visit MitchellWilliamsLaw.com.
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