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John J. Privitera

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privitera@mltw.com
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Phone: (518) 447-3337
Fax: (518) 867-4737

677 Broadway, P.O. Box 459
Albany, New York 12201-0459

"Professionalism, integrity, and devoted advocacy are daily obligations."

Mr. Privitera assists clients in assessing risk, achieving compliance, solving problems, defending enforcement actions, developing projects and resolving challenging environmental issues.  He is active in all areas of environmental law including land use, environmental litigation, enforcement, citizen suits, regulatory affairs, compliance matters, hazardous wastes and natural resource damages.  He also provides advice and counsel regarding the environmental aspects of business transactions and energy matters.  With practice areas in environmental law, land use law and litigation, Mr. Privitera is Chair of the firm’s Environmental Department.

From 1986 to 1991, Mr. Privitera served as Assistant Attorney General in the Environmental Protection Bureau of the New York State Department of Law. For eight years prior to that, he was in private litigation practice in Washington, D.C.  Mr. Privitera is a frequent author and public speaker on environmental law, land use and regulatory matters.  He now serves as President of the firm.

Education

J.D., State University of New York at Buffalo, 1977

B.A., State University of New York at Buffalo, 1974
Member of Phi Beta Kappa

Jurisdictions Admitted to Practice

State of New York
District of Columbia

Professional Associations and Community Involvement

New York State Bar Association Environmental Law Section
Member, 1990-present
Executive Committee, 1998-2001

New York State Bar Association Real Property Section
Member, 1990-present
Executive Committee, 1994-present
Chair, 2002-2003

New York State Bar Association House of Delegates
Delegate, 2003-present

Capital Culture, Inc.
President, 2007-present

Capital Repertory Theatre
Trustee, 2000-present
General Counsel, 2003-2006
President, 2006-2009

Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy
Founding board member, 1992-2000
Member, Advisory Council, 2009-present

Publications

  • "CERCLA's Natural Resource Damage Provision," National Environmental Enforcement Journal (March 1992)
  • "Where's POPA? It is Time to Enact New York's Property Owner Protection Act," New York State Bar Journal (July 1990)
  • "Toward a Remedy for International Extradition by Fraud," 2 Yale Law and Policy Review 49 (1983)

Lecturer/Panelist

  • "Symposium on the Legal and Regulatory Impact of the Gulf Oil Spill," Albany Law School, October 2010
  • "Land Use Law Developments," Schenectady County Bar Association, June 2008
  • "Corporate Transactions and Contaminated Property," NYS Bar Association, June 2006
  • "Brownfields Law in New York," NYS Bar Association, July 2005
  • "Management of Environmental Risk in Real Estate Transactions," NYS Bar Association November 2003
  • "Beyond Remediation: Natural Resource Restoration Under the Federal Superfund Law. A Discussion of Trustee responsibility and party liability for persistent organic pollutants in aquatic ecosystems," 32nd Annual Mid-Atlantic Industrial & Hazardous Waste Conference, June 2000
  • "Impact Fees: Can We Expect a 21st Century Renaissance?" NYS Bar Association, July 1999
  • Testimony before United States Congress on Superfund Reform (HR3000) (March 5, 1998)

Awards

Named a Super Lawyer in the 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 Upstate New York Editions of Super Lawyers magazine for Environmental Litigation, Environmental Law, Land Use/Zoning.