Jennifer Simon Lento concentrates her practice on complex environmental and land use matters. She assists clients in complying with environmental laws and regulations and handles environmental aspects of business transactions and energy projects with an emphasis on project due diligence, state and federal permitting and compliance, and project strategy.
Jennifer also advocates on behalf of companies who are developing cutting-edge ocean-based alternative energy generation, such as offshore wind and hydrokinetic energy projects. Her experience includes advising clients on project development strategy and permitting, due diligence review, advocating for clients in federal and state courts and before administrative agencies, and providing insight to state and federal legislators and regulators regarding new laws and regulations.
Jennifer has recently represented: the United States Offshore Wind Collaborative to develop legal strategies in furtherance of a robust U.S. offshore wind market; several large financial institutions seeking tax credits as part of a transaction relating to investments in renewable energy and/or housing projects; an integrated retail energy services company to obtain state licensing and approvals in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, and other states; a large international oil company in a litigation brought pursuant to Massachusetts’ Underground Storage Tank laws; a waste-to-energy facility to respond to exceedances of its NPDES permits; a large utility to obtain zoning approvals for a significant transmission expansion project; and a variety of clients with commercial land transfers and voluntary site clean ups under Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Michigan, Kansas, Rhode Island, Delaware, and Ohio legal regimes.
Jennifer has advised clients in the retail seafood industry with respect to alleged violations of the Lacey Act (relating to invasive species) and enforcement actions brought by the Fish & Wildlife Service. Jennifer has also advised craft beer breweries with respect to environmental compliance matters and implementation of sustainable business practices.
During law school at Rutgers School of Law, Jennifer was the Managing Editor of the Journal of Law & Urban Policy. Jennifer co-coached Rutgers’ interscholastic environmental Moot Court team from 2006 through 2011 and co-taught a course entitled “Environmental Litigation” at Rutgers School of Law in fall 2010. Jennifer was the first recipient of the Society for Women Environmental Professionals’ Greater Philadelphia Scholarship in 2004.
Publications & Speaking Engagements
- Author, Ocean & Offshore Energy Projects and Policy, www.offshoreenergy.blogspot.com (A LexisNexis Top 50 Blog, 2010–2011)
- Speaker, “United States Offshore Wind Law and Policy: The Role of State and Local Authorities,” German American Chamber of Commerce Offshore Wind Conference, October 18, 2011
- Moderator, “Offshore Renewable Energy Generation: State and Federal Regulation and the Development Process,” ABA Quick Teleconference, March 2010
- “Committee of Environmental Litigation and Toxic Torts” (chapter), American Bar Association Section of Environment Energy and Resources Year in Review, 2005, 2006 & 2007
- “Court Clarifies OPRA Issues,” New Jersey Law Journal, July 19, 2004
- “Not Just a Walk in the Park: Beach Access and the Public Trust Doctrine in New Jersey: Raleigh Ave. Beach Ass’n v. Atlantis Beach Club, Inc. 370 N.J. Super. 171 (App. Div. 2004),” The SandBar (Legal Reporter for the National Sea Grant Program), Vol. 3.3, October 2004