Overview
Megan has a breadth of experience assisting clients through complex environmental permitting matters under the National Environmental Policy Act, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and community right to know laws. This experience allows her to guide clients through project development beginning with lands or mineral rights acquisition to full operation and continued compliance. Megan actively represents mining, petroleum, chemical, energy, real estate development, and public utility interests throughout the western United States and Canada. As part of her regulatory compliance practice, Megan also assists clients with environmental aspects of real property and mining transactions including brownfields redevelopment and public lands leasing transactions.
Megan leads Dorsey’s Regulatory Affairs Group and previously served as co-chair of Dorsey's Energy & Natural Resources Industry Group and co-chair of Dorsey’s Salt Lake City office. She has been recognized by Chambers USA as one of “America’s Leading Business Lawyers” in Environment, Natural Resources & Regulated Industries and is consistently listed in Best Lawyers in America, Mountain States Super Lawyers, and Utah Legal Elite for Environmental Law and Litigation. Megan serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Utah Open Lands and as an adjunct faculty member at the S.J. Quinney College of Law.
Education & Admissions
University of Utah (J.D., 2009), Editor-In-Chief; Journal of Land Resources and Environmental Law, William H. Leary Scholar
University of Utah (B.A., Political Science; B.A., Anthropology, 2002), magna cum laude
Admissions
- Utah
- Wyoming
- U.S. District Court of Utah
- Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals
Clerkships
- Utah Supreme Court, Justice Jill N. Parrish, 2009-2010
Experience
Representative Work
Environmental Permitting
- Assisted in all aspects of project development for major new trona mine in Wyoming
- Advised multiple oil & gas, mining, and industrial clients through Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act permitting
- Advise electric generation co-op on Clean Air Act compliance and enforcement matters
- Advise renewable energy developer on NEPA and environmental permitting
- Worked with coalition of industrial companies to revise state administrative adjudication regulations
- Drafted comments on EPA’s ozone NAAQs rulemaking
- Advised manufacturing client through stormwater and pretreatment permitting process
Enforcement/Litigation
- Successfully defended Clean Air Act permit at the Utah Supreme Court
- Represented refinery in defense of consent decree enforcement and permitting enforcement
- Represented mining company in successful settlement of royalty litigation
- Defended chemical manufacturing company through RCRA enforcement
- Defended multiple industrial clients in clean air act enforcement matters and advised on compliance with the Clean Air Act
- Represented wood treatment facility in successful settlement of Clean Water Act litigation citizen suit
- Defended manufacturing client through stormwater NOV and withdrawal of same
- Defended mining client in successful settlement of Clean Water Act citizen suit for alleged illegal discharges
Transactions
- Negotiated private trona mining leases in Wyoming
- Successfully advised client through BLM trona leasing process
- Provide contract drafting advise to energy and mining companies for large project development
- Assisted developers with Enforceable Written Assurance and Bona Fide Prospective Purchaser protections
- Advised purchaser of chemical manufacturing facility on environmental aspects transaction
- Advised seller of metal products manufacturing company regarding environmental aspects of transaction
- Advised financier of renewable hydro project regarding environmental and Endangered Species Act issues
News & Resources
Articles
News & Press Mentions
Events & Speaking Engagements
Select Presentations
- Economic Impact of Climate Policies, Conservative Climate Summit (October 2022)
- Can Green Stormwater Infrastructure Coexist in the Western Legal Landscape of Prior Appropriation Law? World Environmental and Water Resources Congress (May 2011)
- Condemnation of Conservation Easements Land Trust Alliance National Conference, Pittsburgh, PA, (September 2008)
- Condemnation of Conservation Easements Land of Trust Alliance National Conference, Park City, UT, (May 2008)
- In Perpetuity: The Future of Conservation Easements Utah State Bar Association, Environmental Law Section Continuing Legal Education (April 2008)
Industries & Practices
Development & Infrastructure
Explore This Practice View client achievements related to this practice View resources related to this practiceEnergy & Natural Resources
Explore This Practice View client achievements related to this practice View resources related to this practiceCanada Cross-Border Transactions
Explore This Practice View client achievements related to this practice View resources related to this practiceEnvironmental, Social, Governance (ESG)
Explore This Practice View client achievements related to this practice View resources related to this practice- Canada Cross-Border Transactions
- Capital Markets
- Development & Infrastructure
- Energy & Natural Resources
- Environmental
- Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG)
- Mergers & Acquisitions
- Mining
- Real Estate & Land Use
Accolades
- Named a Best Lawyers® Lawyer of the Year, Environmental Law, 2023
- Listed in Best Lawyers in America©, 2017-2024
- Named one of “America’s Leading Business Lawyers” by Chambers USA (Environment, Natural Resources & Regulated Industries), 2019-2023
- Listed as a Mountain States Super Lawyer, 2020-2021
- Listed in Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, and Utah Legal Elite for Environmental Law and litigation
- Contributed more than 50 Challenge pro bono hours, 2020
