Renee provides strategic counseling to companies on their most pressing environmental concerns, from statutory and regulatory requirements and legislative approaches, to litigation and major transactions. She is the former Director of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) and previously served as the Governor of Illinois' Senior Advisor on Environment and Natural Resources.
Renee draws on her past experience, which also includes time spent as an assistant attorney general in the Environmental Control Division of the Illinois Attorney General's Office and as the Associate Director and Chief Counsel of the IEPA, to provide clients with key insight into the government's approach to environmental policymaking and enforcement.
In her representation of major manufacturers, energy companies, public utilities and other entities, Renee takes a "big picture" approach to addressing the environmental and sustainability elements of a project, new development or business plan. She carefully considers a client's ultimate goal and then crafts a smart, nuanced environmental strategy that works toward that goal in a timely, cost-effective manner, taking into consideration any needed outreach to the community, the media, third parties or lawmakers.
Renee has extensive experience in:
• Federal, state and local government approvals and local siting
• Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) and air permitting
• National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 404 permitting/401 certification
• Federal and state government enforcement actions
• Clean Air Act (CAA) and Clean Water Act (CWA) Citizen Suits and Third Party Challenges
• Federal and state rulemaking and legislation Public hearings and community outreach
• Situational and crisis management
Named multiple times as the Lawyer of the Year by The Best Lawyers in America (2012, 2019 and 2021 by BL Rankings), Renee is a Fellow of the American College of Environmental Lawyers. She has served on the Board of Directors of the Environmental Law Institute, and serves on its Leadership Council.
Contact info:
314 552 6553
rcipriano@thompsoncoburn.com