What are the responsibilities and job description for the Experienced Attorney - Environmental & Commercial Real Estate position at Harris Beach Murtha?
Location: All NY and CT offices (Hybrid opportunity)
Description: Harris Beach Murtha seeks a highly experienced commercial real estate and environmental attorney - ideally with substantial experience leading permitting and entitlements for complex development projects - to join our firm as a Partner or Senior Counsel in our Environmental and Commercial Real Estate Practice Groups.
While experience in traditional transactional real estate is valuable and preferred, it is not required. Candidates with strong backgrounds in environmental permitting, regulatory compliance, and large-scale project development are encouraged to apply.
This Attorney Will Have The Opportunity To
Environmental, Permitting & Large-Scale Project Development (Enhanced Focus)
Candidates with experience in traditional real estate transactions may also:
Albany, Buffalo, Ithaca, Rochester, Syracuse, NY: $160,000 - $250,000
Long Island (Uniondale) and White Plains, NY: $170,000 - $250,000
New York, NY: $180,000 - $250,000
Harris Beach Murtha is committed to an inclusive environment, and we welcome applications from diverse candidates with varied background and skills, including military experience. Harris Beach Murtha Cullina PLLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
About Harris Beach Murtha
Harris Beach Murtha formed in 2025 via the combination of Harris Beach PLLC and Murtha Cullina LLP. A forward-thinking and innovative partnership with the benefit of more than 250 years of combined history, Harris Beach Murtha’s New York roots reach back to 1856 and the firm has had ties to New England since 1936. Harris Beach and Murtha Cullina were separately among the country’s top law firms as ranked by The National Law Journal.
Harris Beach Murtha and its subsidiaries have a strong Northeast presence, but a global reach. Clients include Fortune 100 corporations, privately held companies, emerging businesses, public sector entities, tax-exempt organizations and individuals. The firm’s practice areas and industries served span appellate law, business litigation, commercial real estate, construction, corporate, environmental, energy, financial institutions, financial restructuring, government compliance and investigations, health care, immigration, intellectual property, labor and employment, mass torts, medical and life sciences, political law, product liability, public finance, tax, and trusts and estates.
The firm’s lawyers and consultants practice from offices throughout Connecticut in Bantam, Hartford, New Haven and Stamford; New York state in Albany, Buffalo, Ithaca, New York City, Rochester, Saratoga Springs, Syracuse, Long Island and White Plains, as well as in Boston, Massachusetts and Newark, New Jersey.
The firm’s policy prohibiting unlawful discrimination applies to all aspects of employment, including hiring, placement, assignment of duties, training, promotion, compensation & benefits and termination. It is the policy of Harris Beach Murtha Cullina PLLC that all applicants and employees enjoy a positive, respectful and productive work environment, free from behavior, actions or language constituting unlawful harassment. Accordingly, harassment or discrimination of any kind based on an individual’s race or color, sex, age, religion, national origin, marital status, disability, military status, genetic predisposition, carrier status, sexual orientation, citizenship status, creed, domestic violence victim status or any other legally protected status is strictly prohibited. Harris Beach Murtha complies with the provisions of the Human Rights Law, all other State and Federal statutory and constitutional non-discrimination provisions including non-discrimination on the basis of prior criminal conviction and prior arrest.
Description: Harris Beach Murtha seeks a highly experienced commercial real estate and environmental attorney - ideally with substantial experience leading permitting and entitlements for complex development projects - to join our firm as a Partner or Senior Counsel in our Environmental and Commercial Real Estate Practice Groups.
While experience in traditional transactional real estate is valuable and preferred, it is not required. Candidates with strong backgrounds in environmental permitting, regulatory compliance, and large-scale project development are encouraged to apply.
This Attorney Will Have The Opportunity To
Environmental, Permitting & Large-Scale Project Development (Enhanced Focus)
- Lead and manage permitting and entitlement processes for major infrastructure and development projects, including:
- Utility installations and transmission/distribution infrastructure
- Energy and renewable energy facilities
- Manufacturing and industrial facilities
- Municipal and State Agency facilities and public infrastructure projects
- Interface directly with regulatory agencies to obtain federal, state, and local approvals
- Guide clients through environmental review frameworks (SEQRA/NEPA) and land-use, zoning, and municipal approval processes
- Support project teams in navigating wetlands, water, air, wildlife, cultural resources, historic preservation, and coastal zone permitting
- Coordinate with engineers, environmental consultants, planners, and municipal officials to advance large project timelines
- Develop permitting strategies that enhance project viability, bankability, and regulatory defensibility
- Advise on compliance with CERCLA, CAA, RCRA, ESA, UIC, ECL, and other environmental regulatory regimes
- Evaluate environmental constraints on sites, analyze risk, and support mitigation strategies including Brownfields redevelopment
- Represent clients in environmental permitting, enforcement actions, administrative proceedings, and regulatory compliance matters
- Provide guidance on emerging policy areas such as NYC Local Law 97, CLCPA mandates, carbon management, CCS projects, and energy transition initiatives
Candidates with experience in traditional real estate transactions may also:
- Draft and negotiate purchase and sale agreements, letters of intent, deeds, and related commercial real estate documentation
- Review due diligence, including title, survey, environmental reports, and financing contingencies
- Coordinate title commitments, UCC/judgment searches, and closing workflows
- Manage pre- and post-closing matters, recording/filing processes, and communications with lenders and counterparties
- Review and negotiate commercial leases and leasing documentation as needed
- Support development agreements, draw approvals, and developer payment processes
- 8 years of U.S. environmental law experience, with strong involvement in permitting and regulatory compliance for large-scale development projects (Commercial real estate experience is a plus but not required)
- Juris Doctorate from ABA-accredited law school
- Admission to New York bar (or ability to waive in) required
- Admission to Connecticut or Massachusetts (or ability to waive in) preferred
- Demonstrated experience coordinating with regulatory agencies and multidisciplinary project teams
- Strong understanding of environmental risk, permitting strategies, and legal frameworks affecting project development and finance
- In-depth knowledge of NEPA, CEQA, CERCLA, RCRA, UIC, ESA, SEQRA, and relevant permitting regulations
- Experience supporting energy, infrastructure, industrial, or municipal projects from planning through implementation
- Ability to assess complex environmental reports and technical data
- Familiarity with carbon-related regulatory frameworks and environmental considerations in large infrastructure projects (domestic or international)
- Excellent communication skills and a commitment to outstanding client service
- Ability to manage multiple matters in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment
- Corporate experience desirable
- Military experience welcome
Albany, Buffalo, Ithaca, Rochester, Syracuse, NY: $160,000 - $250,000
Long Island (Uniondale) and White Plains, NY: $170,000 - $250,000
New York, NY: $180,000 - $250,000
Harris Beach Murtha is committed to an inclusive environment, and we welcome applications from diverse candidates with varied background and skills, including military experience. Harris Beach Murtha Cullina PLLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
About Harris Beach Murtha
Harris Beach Murtha formed in 2025 via the combination of Harris Beach PLLC and Murtha Cullina LLP. A forward-thinking and innovative partnership with the benefit of more than 250 years of combined history, Harris Beach Murtha’s New York roots reach back to 1856 and the firm has had ties to New England since 1936. Harris Beach and Murtha Cullina were separately among the country’s top law firms as ranked by The National Law Journal.
Harris Beach Murtha and its subsidiaries have a strong Northeast presence, but a global reach. Clients include Fortune 100 corporations, privately held companies, emerging businesses, public sector entities, tax-exempt organizations and individuals. The firm’s practice areas and industries served span appellate law, business litigation, commercial real estate, construction, corporate, environmental, energy, financial institutions, financial restructuring, government compliance and investigations, health care, immigration, intellectual property, labor and employment, mass torts, medical and life sciences, political law, product liability, public finance, tax, and trusts and estates.
The firm’s lawyers and consultants practice from offices throughout Connecticut in Bantam, Hartford, New Haven and Stamford; New York state in Albany, Buffalo, Ithaca, New York City, Rochester, Saratoga Springs, Syracuse, Long Island and White Plains, as well as in Boston, Massachusetts and Newark, New Jersey.
The firm’s policy prohibiting unlawful discrimination applies to all aspects of employment, including hiring, placement, assignment of duties, training, promotion, compensation & benefits and termination. It is the policy of Harris Beach Murtha Cullina PLLC that all applicants and employees enjoy a positive, respectful and productive work environment, free from behavior, actions or language constituting unlawful harassment. Accordingly, harassment or discrimination of any kind based on an individual’s race or color, sex, age, religion, national origin, marital status, disability, military status, genetic predisposition, carrier status, sexual orientation, citizenship status, creed, domestic violence victim status or any other legally protected status is strictly prohibited. Harris Beach Murtha complies with the provisions of the Human Rights Law, all other State and Federal statutory and constitutional non-discrimination provisions including non-discrimination on the basis of prior criminal conviction and prior arrest.
Salary : $160,000 - $250,000