John Morris
An environmental lawyer for the industrial sector, John represents businesses developing industrial projects, decommissioning and repurposing legacy facilities, and transacting in environmentally impaired assets.
John Morris advises developers and investors in innovative decarbonization and climate adaptation projects. John serves as outside counsel to a multinational energy company developing its first Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) and Green Hydrogen projects in California. He assists investors and sponsors in managing environmental and natural resources risks in the development and financing of utility-scale solar, wind, and geothermal energy projects. John also counsels electric transmission developers, landowners, and other stakeholders on catastrophic wildfire risk mitigation strategy.
John helps to decommission, and repurposing aging infrastructure, legacy assets, and brownfields. John and Perkins Coie colleagues represented the Klamath River Renewal Corporation in the decommissioning and removal of four hydroelectric dams in the world’s largest dam removal and river restoration project, restoring more than 400 miles of upstream habitat for salmon, steelhead, and other species. John leads projects to redevelop former landfills into compatible commercial uses, such as solar energy and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) projects, recreational facilities, and a rail-to-shipping terminal. He also advises upstream and midstream oil and gas companies in decommissioning onshore oil fields, repurposing crude oil pipelines, financing orphan well plugging and abandonment, and rationalizing real estate and asset portfolios through strategic divestments of excess facilities.
John works with businesses to minimize compliance and enforcement risks from pollution. John helps clients devise cost-effective environmental, health and safety (EHS) compliance audits and operational risk assessments. He assists in prompt investigation and incident response and defends clients in administrative, civil, and criminal enforcement actions. His transactional work includes strategic commercial counseling to de-risk EHS aspects of corporate mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, financings, and real estate investments.
Education & Credentials
Education
- University of Texas School of Law, J.D., with honors, Associate Editor, Texas Law Review, 2014
- Claremont McKenna College, B.A., Philosophy and Psychology, 2010
Bar and Court Admissions
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California
Related Employment
- Paul Hastings LLP, San Francisco, CA, Associate, 2018-2020
- Latham & Watkins LLP, Los Angeles, CA, Associate, 2014-2018
Insights
News
Professional Experience
Energy Transition and Climate Change Mitigation
- Energy company in the planning, environmental impact review, United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Class VI Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program permitting, and other state and local permitting for a proposed Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) project.
- Energy company in the planning, environmental impact review, and permitting of a green hydrogen production plant co-located with solar energy facility.
- Energy company in the planning, environmental impact review, and permitting of a U.S. Department of Energy funded geothermal energy project.
- Developers in the planning, environmental impact review, and permitting of commercial microgrids and district utility systems.
- Developer of waste-to-hydrogen fuels plant in project planning, environmental impact review, and permitting matters.
- Electric transmission developer in general advice matters relating to California Independent System Operator (CAISO) transmission project opportunities.
- Landowners and wildfire retardant manufacturer in permitting and environmental impact review advice concerning wildfire fuels reduction and risk mitigation projects in California
Decommissioning, Repurposing, and Asset Retirement
- Klamath River Renewal Corporation in the environmental review, permitting, State Board water quality certification, and defense of project to decommission four hydroelectric dams and restore interstate river system.
- Energy company in environmental review and permitting for proposed decommissioning of California onshore oil field.
- Pipeline company in permitting and dispute resolution arising from divestment of idle crude oil pipeline.
- University in permitting, risk management, and environmental impact review for proposed dam decommissioning and watershed restoration project.
- Climate change organization in development of strategy to accelerate funding of orphan well plugging and abandonment.
Brownfield Development
- Developer in environmental review, permitting, and environmental risk management strategies in connection with proposed rail-to-shipping export terminal sited at former landfill site under Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) and Regional Board oversight.
- Investor in New York’s first “Build Ready” solar energy project sited on former mine tailings dump site.
- Battery energy storage systems (BESS) project developer in the siting and environmental risk management strategies for project proposed on closed landfill.
- Foreclosing lender in groundwater and soil vapor cleanup, post-foreclosure strategy, and resale of perchloroethylene (PCE)-impacted commercial property under Regional Board oversight.
- Public-private partnership to redevelop former landfill site into community-oriented athletic and academic campus.*
- National Football League (NFL) franchise in site selection, California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) compliance, permitting, and approval of stadium project proposal on former landfill site.*
* Prior experience
Environmental Enforcement Defense
- Landowner in defense of criminal investigation and negotiation of misdemeanor resolution of claims arising from alleged oil discharges from a legacy oil well to a creek.
- Company in response to criminal indictment for claims arising from alleged unlawful transportation and storage of hazardous waste, resulting in grant of pretrial diversion.
- Aerospace company in administrative settlement negotiations involving the cleanup, restoration, closure, and post-closure permitting of former aeronautical testing and research site under Regional Board and DTSC oversight.
- Former landowner of contaminated site in response to Regional Board cleanup and abatement order arising from alleged historic releases of trichloroethylene (TCE) by commercial tenant of former landowner.
- Natural gas utility in its petition to the state board for review of cleanup and abatement order arising from alleged disposal of exploration and production waste to groundwater.*
- Oil and gas environmental services company in administrative settlement with USEPA Region 6 arising from hazardous waste storage and generation violations and establishment of compliance monitoring program.*
- Waste-to-energy solvents recycler in administrative settlement with USEPA Region 9 of hazardous waste facility air emissions violations and implementation of offsite mitigation program.*
* Prior experience
Environmental, Health, and Safety Counseling
- Significant Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) compliance and permitting counseling on matters under USEPA jurisdiction and before California state, regional, and local regulatory agencies, including the State Water Resources Control Board (State Board), the Regional Water Quality Control Boards (Regional Boards), the DTSC, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and regional Air Quality Management Districts (AQMDs), the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle), and the California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM).
- Energy company in the investigation, compliance assessment, and voluntary response actions at lead-impacted former gun range located on its property.
- Federal lands management in the development of an EHS compliance strategy to address stormwater, air quality, and recycled water matters.
- Developer in water quality permitting for floating data center project and counseling regarding threatened claims by environmental nonprofit.
- Manufacturing company as potential responsible party (PRP) in the cleanup and restoration of the San Fernando Valley Superfund Site, North Hollywood Operable Unit under USEPA Region 9 and Los Angeles Regional Board oversight.*
- Real estate investment trust as PRP for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service cleanup and restoration of the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Sweetwater Marsh Unit.*
* Prior experience
Environmental Transactions
- Private equity investor in acquisition of California underground natural gas storage business and associated pre-closing regulatory approvals.
- Global infrastructure investor in acquisition of California geothermal power plant and associated pre-closing regulatory approvals.
- Sponsors and investors in permitting and environmental risk mitigation strategies in the acquisition, disposition, tax equity financings, and debt financings of onshore wind and utility-scale solar projects in the United States.
- Multinational energy and fuels corporation in various real estate transactions involving the purchase, sale, and leasing of commercial and industrial lands.
- Downstream oil and gas company in the acquisition of a portfolio of retail gasoline service stations in the western U.S.
- Financial services institution in financing transactions involving automotive service industry assets.
- Copper wire manufacturer in its sale to middle market private equity firm.*
- Midstream oil and gas producer in its carveout of U.S. Gulf Coast waste services company.*
- Public multinational food and beverage corporation in its acquisition of California plant-based foods company and pre-closing regulatory approvals from local coastal program agency and Central Coast Regional Board.*
* Prior experience