Linda R. Larson
Linda is a partner at Marten Law Group. With over 25 years of environmental law and land use experience, she has been lead attorney on numerous large environmental litigation matters. Linda has special expertise in areas such as marine, fisheries resources,and endangered species issues.
Over the course of her career, she has managed numerous complex matters, involving multiple parties on issues ranging from site remediation and development to endangered species and natural resources litigation. Representative cases include:
- Acting as lead coordinating counsel for multiple fishing industry parties in the defense of a challenge under the Endangered Species Act involving steller sea lions by environmental groups to Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, and Gulf of Alaska fishery management plans; 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).
- Representing private company in the remediation of contaminated sediments and associated uplands along the Columbia River, including the negotiation of a consent decree and resolution of allocation issues between client and other potentially liable parties.
- Representing a private company in the voluntary remediation of a lead refinery located in downtown Omaha, Nebraska and redevelopment of the site into a city park, in the process assisting in the defense of citizen class action under federal Clean Water Act; directing the technical team in negotiation of work plan with the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality and negotiating a controversial transfer agreement with the Mayor and City Council of Omaha.
- Successfully represented group of sports fishermen in challenge to proposal by the City of Tacoma to double its diversion of water from the Green River. The Washington Pollution Control Hearings Board ruled that Tacoma’s environmental impact statement failed to adequately consider the impacts of the diversion on steelhead and salmon habitat.
- Negotiated remedial action and natural resource damages settlement with EPA, State of Washington and Puyallup Indian Tribe for former owner of a pulp and paper mill in Tacoma, Washington.
Linda was previously a partner with Heller Ehrman in Seattle where she chaired the firm’s Northwest environmental practice, managing environmental attorneys in Washington, Oregon, and Alaska.
She received her J.D. from University of Washington Law School in 1978 and her B.A., magna cum laude, from University of Washington in 1975. After graduating from law school Linda served as staff counsel and an aide to Senator Warren Magnuson on the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee and as an attorney for the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, as well as the Special Assistant to its Deputy Administrator.
Linda, who is active in community affairs, was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Seattle Public Library from 1997 – 2006 and served as President of the Board in 2002 and 2003 during the design and construction of the internationally recognized Central Library. She is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Public Radio International and Crosscut LLC, as well as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Seattle Public Library Foundation.