Doug MacCourt is a partner who concentrates his practice on environmental and natural resources law, energy development, land use, and property transactions. For the past 20 years he has represented private and public sector clients to permit, construct and operate energy, industrial and economic development projects. Doug is chair of the firm’s Indian Law Group, co-chair of the Sustainable Practices Advisory Group, and advises tribal governments and enterprises on environmental, energy, federal Indian law and property transactions. He is listed in Best Lawyers in America in the Native American and Natural Resources Law categories. He has also been listed in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business.
Doug has extensive experience with state and federal cleanup and hazardous waste laws, natural resources restoration and damages, endangered species, water rights and water quality issues associated with contaminated properties and spills. He advises client/consultant teams in all phases of local, state, and federal cleanup, development and natural resources permitting.
Doug represents clients before state legislative bodies and Congress on appropriations and project matters, and has successfully defended clients’ rights on appeal before the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals, Oregon Court of Appeals, U.S. District Court and U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Professional Experience
- Ater Wynne LLP, Portland, Oregon, Partner, 2002 to present; Of Counsel, 1999 to 2002
- Environmental Manager and Director of Brownfield Programs, City of Portland, Office of Transportation, 1991 to 1999
- Martin Bischoff Templeton Langslett & Hoffman, Attorney, 1988 to 1991
Education
- University of Oregon, J.D., 1988
- Humboldt State University, B.S., cum laude, 1983
Admitted to Practice
- Oregon, 1989
- U.S. District Court, Oregon, 1989
- Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, 1991
Professional Activities
- US-Germany Bilateral Work Group on Brownfields
- National Association of Local Government Environmental Professionals, Co-Chair, Board of Directors
- 1000 Friends of Oregon, Cooperating Attorney
- Oregon State Bar, Indian Law Section, Chair, 2010; Chair-Elect, 2009; Environmental and Natural Resources Section, member; Real Estate and Land Use Section, member
- American Bar Association, Natural Resources and Environmental Law Section
Representative Matters
- Environmental cleanup and redevelopment of large primary aluminum smelter properties in Oregon and Washington
- Environmental cleanup, land use approvals, funding and redevelopment of large carbide manufacturing sites
- Lead defense counsel for marine terminal operator at large public port facility; successfully defended natural resource damage and ESA claims from major petroleum spill
- Lead permitting, transaction and project counsel to Diné Power Authority, a Navajo Nation enterprise, in the development of a 1500 Mw coal-fired, low-emission power plant, 470-mile high-voltage transmission system, and 100Mw wind facility
- Obtained tax credits, FERC certification and Energy Facility Siting Counsel approval for $100 million, 90 Mw high-efficiency gas-fired cogeneration facility
- Permitted, and successfully defended land use challenges at local level and on appeal for state-of-the-art integrated processing and recycling facility
- Environmental and land use approvals and tax credits for $90 million pulping process for region’s largest producer of recycled content newsprint
- Air, water, waste, and cleanup permitting and compliance defense for ship construction and repair facility and metal pipe facility
- OSHA compliance and appeals for national producer of motor vehicle parts
Representative Publications and/or Presentations
- Renewable Energy Development in Indian Country: A Handbook for Tribes. A Project for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and The Alliance for Sustainable Energy. 2009.
- Environmental Insurance. The Year in Review: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007. American Bar Association.
- Superfund and Brownfields: Origins and Evolution of Federal Cleanup Law in the US. Journal for European Environmental & Planning Law. 2006.
- Solid Waste Law and Regulation. Environmental Deskbook. Oregon State Bar. 2006
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