Former Calif. Bar Environmental Chair Joins McGuireWoods in Los Angeles

September 23, 2011

McGuireWoods LLP announced today that Dana Palmer has joined the firm’s environmental solutions and energy and utilities groups as senior counsel in Los Angeles. He will focus his practice on renewable energy, climate change, environmental due diligence, land use, water quality, and contaminated sites.

Since enactment of California’s landmark climate change law (AB 32) in 2006, Palmer has advised both public and private-sector clients in California Air Resources Board rulemakings. In addition, he has assisted clients with strategic planning in anticipation of the state’s cap-and-trade program. In the area of renewable energy, Palmer has counseled clients concerning California’s evolving Renewables Portfolio Standard, the state’s feed-in-tariff, and the numerous programs administered by California utilities to encourage the development of renewable energy.

“This is an exciting time for the energy and environmental industries, and we are delighted that Dana has decided to join the firm,” said Gordon Alphonso, co-chair of McGuireWoods’ Energy and Environmental Department. “His extensive experience in various sectors will greatly serve our clients in California.”

Palmer joins McGuireWoods from Los Angeles-based Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP. From 2009 to 2010, he chaired the California State Bar Environmental Law Section, a position that involved interacting with some of California’s top environmental regulators and activists. During his tenure, he prioritized outreach to energy lawyers and improved collaboration between environmental and real property practitioners. Prior to joining the private bar, he served as a staff attorney at Santa Monica Baykeeper, where he litigated matters concerning water pollution and energy.

He has served as a special assistant to the administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, as well as on U.S. Senator Robert G. Torricelli’s staff as a legislative fellow. He began his career at ICF International, an environmental consulting firm, where he assisted clients in the nascent field of climate change and with established regulations affecting air, land, and water. After earning his bachelor’s degree, Palmer interned in President Bill Clinton’s White House Office on Environmental Policy. He earned his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2004.