Steven G. Jones
Steve Jones, a partner with Marten Law Group, is the chair of the firm’s litigation department. He has handled complex environmental and land use litigation for both public and private clients for 15 years. Steve has particular expertise in litigation arising under CERCLA, the Clean Water Act, the Federal Torts Claim Act, and representing clients in litigation involving solid waste and nuisance issues. He also has extensive experience litigating land use issues under both SEPA and under Washington’s Growth Management Act. Steve has handled cases before all levels of the state and federal courts, along with administrative litigation before Washington’s Pollution Control Hearings Board, the Growth Management Hearings Boards and Washington’s Utilities and Transportation Commission.
Steve writes and speaks frequently on environmental and land use issues and has contributed to chapters to both the AWB Environmental Compliance Handbook and WSBA Real Property Deskbook. He is the editor of the ABA’s Superfund and NRD Litigation Committee Newsletter.
Representative cases include:
- Serving as lead counsel for a cost recovery and contribution action seeking to recover millions of dollars in remediation costs for a municipal client whose well field was contaminated by solvents flowing from an adjacent military base. Prosecuted claims against the military and its defense contractors, helped obtain insurance coverage to cover cleanup costs, and led a precedent-making effort to allow the client to help structure the cleanup at the site.
- Helping a public utility district to permit a large power project in the Methow Valley, one of the most environmentally sensitive areas in the State of Washington. Assisted in the preparation of the environmental impact statement for the project, responded to hundreds of public comments, devised a permit strategy, and then successfully defended the EIS and the project generally in Superior Court and the Court of Appeals.
- Handled litigation surrounding environmental permits for a sustainable koa production and harvesting operation on the Big Island of Hawaii, as well as the resulting litigation regarding the financing for the project and mediation of the dispute in bankruptcy court.
- After a client’s property was down-zoned as a result of a comprehensive plan update, challenged the down-zone, first before the Growth Management Hearings Board, then later in Superior Court, obtaining a reversal of the Growth Board and defending that decision in the Washington State Court of Appeals.
- Steve was recognized by Washington Law and Politics magazine as a “Super Lawyer ®” in Environmental Law in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. He received his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1989. After law school he clerked for Judge Martin Pence in the United States District Court, District of Hawaii.