Linda has over 25 years of environmental law and land use experience. Over the course of her career, she has managed numerous complex litigation matters. She has successfully resolved disputes ranging from site remediation to endangered species, and has particular experience with marine resources and sediments issues.
Linda served as staff counsel to Senator Warren Magnuson on the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee and as an attorney with the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration. She practiced for many years with Heller Ehrman, and chaired its Northwest environmental practice group.
Linda is active in community affairs. She is the immediate past Chair of the Board of Directors of Public Radio International. She served on the Board of Trustees of the Seattle Public Library from 1997 to 2006 and was President of the Board in 2002 and 2003 during the design and construction of the internationally recognized Seattle Central Library.
Representative Experience
- Represents fishing companies in a challenge to fishing restrictions for the conduct of the Aleutian Islands groundfish fisheries under the Endangered Species Act involving Steller sea lions. The present value of fishing and related revenue at risk from the new restrictions is estimated to be between $1.8 billion and $3.8 billion. This engagement follows on Linda’s previous representation of major fishing companies in a defense of earlier Steller sea lion mitigation regulations. Greenpeace, American Oceans Campaign v. National Marine Fisheries Service, 237 F. Supp. 2d 1181 (W.D. Wash 2000), 106 F. Supp. 2d 1066 (W.D. Wash. 2000), 198 F.R.D. 540 (W.D. Wash. 2000), 80 F. Supp. 2d 1137 (W.D. Wash. 2000), 55 F. Supp. 2d 1248 (W.D. Wash. 1999).
- Represented major fishing company in challenge to National Marine Fisheries Service allocations for multi-million dollar Bering Sea Pacific cod fishery.
- Acted as lead counsel to ASARCO LLC, a former mining, smelting and refining company, in the first evidentiary estimation hearing in connection with the largest environmental bankruptcy case in United States history. The estimation hearing in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Southern District of Texas involved a $406 million claim for response costs brought by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the State of Nebraska.
- Assisted an aluminum manufacturer in the remediation of contaminated sediments and associated uplands at a former aluminum smelter along the Columbia River, including the negotiation of consent decrees under the Washington Model Toxics Control Act and resolution of allocation issues between client and other potentially liable parties.
- Has successfully resolved enforcement claims against manufacturing and industrial clients at federal and state Superfund sites in over a dozen states.