Jean Perry Phillips

Jean Perry Phillips practices environmental, municipal and land use law and handles a wide range of real estate and business transactional and operating problems that arise in the context of environmental and land use matters. Jean has extensive experience with the identification, negotiation, allocation and documentation of risk in complex commercial and real estate transactions, including brownfields and post brownfields properties.  She also has significant experience with regulatory compliance, permitting and litigation issues in the environmental and land use arena.  Jean works closely with the regulatory community, i.e. DEEP, EPA, the Army Corps of Engineers and local agencies, as well as the private consulting community. She manages environmental issues on sites, including providing advice regarding the selection, retention and supervision of consultants including the drafting of Requests for Proposals or Qualifications and responses thereto.  She is also experienced in the field of eminent domain and associated administrative and civil proceedings. She has represented developers, corporations, property owners, municipalities, boards of education, and lenders. Jean is a LEED Accredited Professional.

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Professional Affiliations

American Bar Association - Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Section

Connecticut Bar Association - Environment and Land Use Sections

Tolland County Bar Association

Environmental Professionals of Connecticut

Society of Women Environmental Professionals

Connecticut Green Building Council

Connecticut Bar Foundation - James W. Cooper Fellow

Community Involvement

Statewide Legal Services - member and past president of the Board of Directors

Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection's Comprehensive Evaluation and Transformation of Connecticut's Cleanup Laws Working Group - member

University of Connecticut - adjunct professor in environmental law, 1990-1993, 2000-2009

• Represents a large Connecticut municipality in the redevelopment of a 600,000 square foot industrial building on a large brownfield site.  Responsibilities include management, land use, environmental and construction issues including assistance with Invitations to Bid, contracts, risk management and dealing with federal and state regulations. The determination and administration of relocation benefits to eligible tenants and the negotiation of leases and departure terms are also part of this project.
• Represents a large Connecticut municipality in the purchase of a historically contaminated property subject to a RCRA Stewardship Permit.  Negotiated and drafted purchase terms including the release of historic federally required financial assurances and provision of favorable new ones.  Continued involvement includes assisting with compliance and remedial obligations and contracting issues.
• Represents a Connecticut shoreline municipality in connection with all aspects of a Municipal Development Plan and associated Development Agreement with a national developer of destination shopping and entertainment districts.  Project responsibilities include land use, permitting, contracts, title and acquisition of blighted and brownfield properties.
• Represents Regional Development Agencies in connection with Brownfields projects including negotiation and documentation required for the acquisition and sale of environmentally impacted projects including identification of stakeholders and resources available to facilitate development. 
• Represents property owners and purchasers in connection with the sale, acquisition and financing of properties including favorable resolution of long term liabilities and obligations to the State.
• Represented a property owner in the successful resolution of a decade long suit seeking to apportion liability for contamination amongst several potential responsible parties within one year of involvement.
• Represented a water pollution control authority in connection with state and federal requirements and permitting issues.
• Represented a large Fairfield County municipality in connection with a contaminated landfill thought to be impacting local residents’ drinking water wells.  Representation included successful early resolution of a suit brought by a neighborhood association, negotiation of a DEEP Consent Order and satisfactory compliance therewith, facilitation of public meetings and communication with DEEP, EPA, and local and state Department of Health personnel, historic research including identification of other potential sources of contaminants.
• Represented Boards of Education in connection with the identification of appropriate sites for new school projects, due diligence and acquisition issues including acquisition of property by purchase and eminent domain and administration of associated relocation benefits.  Further assisted in remediation as required including documentation, selection of and negotiations with contractors and supervision of environmental professionals.
• Represented the Connecticut Airport Authority (CAA) in connection with title examination and resolution of historic title issues and environmental due diligence and permitting as needed at its creation and upon transfer of Connecticut's airports from the Department of Transportation to the CAA.  Drafted related legislation.
• Represented developer in negotiations with a former tenant of the property to reimburse the client on major building repairs and to remediate the environmental conditions at the property.  
• Represents a major solid waste and recycling facility in the negotiation of a Consent Order with DEEP and in connection with permitting, real estate and land use issues.

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