The recent addition of Adams and Reese Environmental Team Leader Rob Fowler – longtime litigator and environmental and natural resource lawyer with 28 years of experience – will expand the comprehensive environmental services for Florida public and private sector businesses, developers, investors, industry groups, and trade associations.
Fowler is licensed to practice in Alabama, but through his role leading the Adams and Reese Environmental Team across the law firm’s offices nationwide, he will provide support to the team’s environmental advisors and attorneys licensed to practice law in Florida.
“Our Florida clients across every industry from real estate to construction to utility to hospitality, and everything in between, often face environmental implications, litigation issues, and legal concerns, when progressing and expanding their operations,” said Herschel Vinyard, Adams and Reese Jacksonville Office Partner in Charge. “Rob’s years of experience and wealth of knowledge in regulatory, permitting, enforcement, litigation, and compliance under federal, state, and local laws, acts, and policies, is all a tremendous asset to our law firm. His advisory services are a valuable resource and a gamechanger to business and industry across our state.”
Vinyard has represented Florida clients for decades on state environmental law and policy, where regulatory issues, business, political concerns, and legal questions intersect. Vinyard is joined in Florida by Adams and Reese Environmental Team members Tom White, Partner (Jacksonville); Jeff Littlejohn, Senior Policy Advisor (Tallahassee); Jim Dickson, Counsel (Tampa); Ben Lute, Counsel (Tampa); and Steven McCommon, Associate (Tampa). The team also extends to Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana. Adams and Reese has more than 300 attorneys and advisors in 20 offices, 10 states, and DC, all representing business interests in every industry across more than 75 practice areas.
“The depth of experience across Adams and Reese’s existing environmental team is impressive, and I am excited to leverage my experience to further bolster our practice across the firm’s national footprint,” said Fowler. “It is difficult to operate in the environmental law arena without having an experienced policy team that is tied in with local, state, and federal regulators, or without a deep bench of attorneys with expertise in multiple disciplines. Adams and Reese meshes all of that talent together to guide its clients to efficient and legally sound solutions.”
Practicing environmental and natural resource law since 1996, Fowler has a history of working with electric utilities, developers, industrial and manufacturing industries, mining, timber, and waterway interests. Previously a Partner in a large regional law firm, Fowler also served as an EVP and GC for Environmental Compliance at a conglomerate compromising approximately 75 affiliate companies in the mining, agricultural, and hospitality industries.
Fowler helps clients navigate the complexities of the Clean Water Act (CWA), Clean Air Act (CAA), Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA), Resource Conservation & Recovery Act (RCRA), Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), Endangered Species Act (ESA), National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and various historic preservation laws. He has defended clients against environmental enforcement and citizen suit actions and counseled clients on environmental regulatory matters.
“Environmental law involves a lot of acronyms – I’m an acronym guy, working with businesses to comply with often convoluted statutory and regulatory requirements, and if necessary, defend them against any enforcement actions,” said Fowler. “Clients must have efficient solutions to operate in today’s regulatory environment. I look forward to working with our attorneys and advisors across our footprint, especially in Florida.”
About Adams and Reese: Adams and Reese, founded in 1951, is a multidisciplinary law firm with more than 300 attorneys and advisors strategically located throughout the United States and Washington, D.C. The American Lawyer includes Adams and Reese on its distinguished list of the nation’s top law firms, the Am Law 200. The National Law Journal also includes the firm among the top 200 on the NLJ 500 list of the nation’s largest law firms.
