Kelley Drye Expands to Texas with Addition of 14 Attorneys from Acclaimed Environmental Litigation Firm Jackson Gilmour & Dobbs

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Dec 01, 2016, 09:23 ET

NEW YORK, Dec. 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Kelley Drye & Warren LLP is pleased to announce its merger with Jackson Gilmour & Dobbs, P.C., a highly respected Texas law firm best known for success in environmental litigation matters. The team also brings substantial experience in sophisticated regulatory and commercial litigation matters. The transaction strengthens Kelley Drye's litigation and environmental practices, as well as extends the firm's national presence.

The collective environmental practices broaden Kelley Drye's nationwide capabilities in site remediation, cost recovery, natural resource damages, and related insurance litigation. Deepening the experience in these areas will create a powerhouse firm for businesses contemplating sales and acquisitions, debt and equity financings, and real estate development and construction where environmental issues may be present.

"The attorneys from Jackson Gilmour & Dobbs bring impressive litigation, regulatory and environmental experience that complements Kelley Drye's existing practices. One exciting area enhanced by the addition of Jackson Gilmour & Dobbs is our State Attorneys General practice which we expect to be in high demand when the new administration takes over in January. As we evaluated opportunities for strategic growth and got to know the Jackson Gilmour & Dobbs team, we were impressed by the synergies in our firms' collaborative and client service oriented cultures. We are pleased to welcome them to Kelley Drye," said firm chair Jim Carr.

William J. Jackson and William M. Guerry Jr. will co-chair the Environmental Law practice group. Mr. Jackson will also be the managing partner of the Texas offices. John D.S. Gilmour will chair the firm's newly formed Environmental Litigation practice group. The Houston and Austin offices will be known as "Kelley Drye/Jackson Gilmour & Dobbs" through 2017.

The 14 lawyers will remain in the Houston and Austin offices. The attorneys joining Kelley Drye in Houston include firm founders Mr. Jackson, Mr. Gilmour, and Micheal W. Dobbs, as well as partners Ann L. Al-Bahish, Kenneth O. Corley, John L. Hagan, William C. Petit, special counsel Melanie McDonald, and associates Jordan A. Rodriguez, Lauren K. Valastro and Mark Donatiello. In Austin, partners John A. Riley and Paul C. Sarahan will join the firm, together with associate Allison Lowry.

In 2015, Jackson Gilmour & Dobbs was named Texas Lawyer's "Specialty Litigation Group of the Year" for environmental litigation in the state of Texas. The firm has been involved in many of the largest environmental cases in the country representing government entities and natural resource trustees in watershed natural resources damages matters such as the Passaic River Superfund Site in New Jersey. Jackson Gilmour & Dobbs attorneys recovered over $355 million in costs and damages in the Passaic River settlement, including $67.5 million in restoration projects, and up to an additional $400 million in remediation costs. That settlement is the largest of its kind in the history of the State of New Jersey and will ensure hundreds of millions in additional economic activity along the Passaic River. The team also represents transportation and energy sector clients in Superfund, cost recovery and natural resource damages matters nationwide.

"The addition of the Jackson Gilmour & Dobbs team provides a broad depth of experience to Kelley Drye's environmental law practice," said Mr. Guerry. "We now have enhanced resources to offer our existing and future environmental clients throughout the lifecycle of their businesses with exemplary administrative, regulatory and litigation services."

Founder William J. Jackson said, "At our previous firm, we built a name as an experienced, dynamic team committed to exemplary service. Kelley Drye's stellar reputation and national footprint will enhance the service we provide our clients. The firm's collaborative culture seamlessly aligns with our guiding principles. Merging with Kelley Drye feels like the natural progression for the firm we started nine years ago."

On October 19, 2016, Kelley Drye and Jackson Gilmour & Dobbs jointly hosted the second annual Energy and Environmental Outlook Conference in Houston. The half-day program featured leading law and policy experts discussing the most pertinent federal and state legal, regulatory and political developments.

About Kelley Drye & Warren LLP
Kelley Drye & Warren LLP is an international law firm founded in 1836 with more than 300 lawyers and other professionals practicing in New York, NY; Washington, DC; Los Angeles, CA; Chicago, IL; Stamford, CT; Parsippany, NJ; Texas and Brussels, Belgium, additionally offering a full scope of legal service through our affiliate relationship with the Mumbai-based independent law firm, Fortitude Law Associates.