Shawna M. Bligh

Ms. Bligh has handled complex, multi-party litigation from initial filing through trial, including managing all aspects of pleadings and discovery, pre-trial preparation and trial work. Ms. Bligh's litigation experience includes claims arising in both state and federal court. Ms. Bligh has litigated matters related to business and commercial transactions, construction and engineering projects, insurance coverage disputes involving multiple layers of coverage, environmental and regulatory enforcement actions, and bankruptcy adversary proceedings. She has also handled arbitration and other alternative dispute proceedings, including construction contract disputes involving millions of dollars.

Ms. Bligh also possesses substantial appellate experience in both state and federal courts across the nation. Ms. Bligh has also authored winning appellate briefs in complex environmental matters, including a matter related to a used oil management facility regulated under RCRA and state environmental laws, and a not-for-profit's NEPA challenge premised upon the failure of a regulatory agency to prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement as related to construction of a circumferential highway around the City of Burlington, Vermont. 



Ms. Bligh's environmental and regulatory expertise also extends to environmental compliance, permitting, due diligence and remediation and redevelopment of former federal facilities. She works with a broad cross-section of federal environmental statutes. Her experience includes negotiating multi-million dollar wet weather consent decrees and administrative settlement of alleged Clean Water Act violations, preparation of after-the-fact air, water and land reclamation permits for mining operations, resolving mis-branding allegations brought under FIFRA, and managing NEPA compliance issues on a ARRA-funded project, which was recognized by the President's Council of Environmental Quality. Her federal facilities experience includes handling environmental issues on real estate transferred pursuant to the Base, Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Acts and properties managed under the Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS) Program.

Ms. Bligh also advises clients on OSHA compliance matters, as well as represents clients issued citations under OSHA, including clients facing whistleblower allegations.

Ms. Bligh has also handled land-use matters, including advising small businesses on compliance with local land-use ordinances. Her work in this area has included representing small business clients in front of the Board of Zoning Adjustment for the City of Kansas City, Missouri.