PORTLAND, Maine - Jeffrey A. Thaler, of the regional law firm Bernstein Shur, was elected Friday as President-Elect of the American College of Environmental Lawyers (ACOEL) at the group’s annual meeting held in San Francisco, California.
ACOEL is a professional association of distinguished environmental lawyers; membership is by invitation only, and members are recognized by their peers as preeminent in their field.
One of ACOEL's 23 founders, Thaler is the senior member from Maine. He has been serving as Chair of its Program Committee, as well as on the Executive Committee. In January 2008, he led a Miami panel on climate change, and gave a presentation on "Wind Power and Climate Change Issues in the 21st Century". On Friday, Thaler led a panel presentation at the ACOEL annual meeting on greenhouse gas initiatives in each of the major regions of the United States.
"This is a significant honor for Jeff and truly speaks to his strong reputation and the respect he has earned. Jeff has become a national figure as an environmental litigator," said Charles E. Miller, managing shareholder at Bernstein Shur.
Thaler, a senior member of Bernstein Shur's Energy, Environmental, and Litigation Practice Groups, has a wide-ranging practice that includes environmental and energy permitting, compliance, enforcement and litigation, as well as litigation for clients with commercial and legal disputes, insurance coverage, personal injury, or toxic tort problems.
He has been recognized for 20 years by Best Lawyers in America for his work in environmental, natural resources and appellate law as well as commercial litigation, and in recent years by Chambers USA for his environmental and litigation practices. Thaler is AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell and is the 2007 recipient of the Justice Louis Scolnik Award for his years of pro bono civil liberties litigation work. In May 2008 Thaler was also named the Regional Vice Chair for North America of the Lex Mundi Environmental Practice Group.
In addition to a number of high profile litigation cases, representing clients in Maine and other states, Thaler serves as legal counsel for renewable energy projects in the areas of wind, hydropower and wood-to-biofuel. He also represents many clients on compliance and enforcement matters. He is the lead author of The Maine Environmental Law Handbook, and has taught environmental law at the University of Maine Law School.
A resident of Yarmouth, Thaler is a 1977 graduate of the Yale University School of Law and a 1974 magna cum laude graduate of Williams College. Thaler presently serves on the Boards of the Land for Maine's Future, Energy and Technology Council of Maine, Maine Trial Lawyers Association, and World Affairs Council of Maine, as a member of the Greater Portland Communities Task Force, and as Team Coordinator for the Center for Grieving Children's Wednesday night bereavement program.
About The American College of Environmental Lawyers
The American College of Environmental Lawyers is a professional association of lawyers distinguished by their experience and high standards in the practice of environmental law. ACOEL members are dedicated to: maintaining and improving the ethical practice of environmental law; the administration of justice; and the development of environmental law at both the state and federal level. More information can be found at www.acoel.org.
About Bernstein Shur
Bernstein Shur is one of northern New England's largest multi-service law firms, with more than 90 attorneys in offices in Maine and New Hampshire. Founded in 1915, the firm provides practical and innovative counsel in the areas of business law, litigation, and municipal law to clients throughout the region and around the world. Bernstein Shur is Maine's exclusive member of Lex Mundi, the world's leading association of independent law firms.