Martin T. Jones

Biography

Martin T. Jones focuses his practice on environmental, real estate, land use law and general business legal matters. For more than 30 years, he has provided legal advice regarding environmental, real estate and land use issues such as Superfund (CERCLA and WQARF), Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), underground storage tanks, Endangered Species Act, National Environmental Policy Act, Phase I and Phase II environmental due diligence, Brownfield remediation, hazardous materials surveys, prospective purchaser agreements, renewable energy, solar power, Notices of Violation (NOVs), permitting and entitlements. He possesses extensive experience in complex commercial transactions involving residential, commercial and industrial real estate acquisitions and dispositions.

Mr. Jones handles general business matters, including the formation of limited liability companies and corporations, licensing agreements, product sales agreements, and many other business related legal issues. He has negotiated and drafted more than 40 solar power purchase agreements for renewable energy transactions.

For the past dozen years, Mr. Jones has assisted the nation’s largest retailer on environmental, land use and real estate matters in 26 states. In addition, he has negotiated real estate purchase agreements and ground and space leases. He handles all aspects of the real estate transaction, including title and survey review, drafting and reviewing documents (leases, purchase agreements, deed restrictions, etc.), lease amendments, estoppels, non-disturbance agreements, entitlements and environmental due diligence.

Mr. Jones is a founding member of an Environmental Roundtable, where a group of environmental outside counsel assist a major retailer in the formulation and management of environmental due diligence and policies. His work has covered all aspects of environmental due diligence prior to acquiring or leasing properties, including reviews of hundreds of Phase I Environmental Site Assessments for compliance with federal regulations. He has provided his review and recommendations regarding Phase II scopes of work, hazardous materials surveys, wetland jurisdictional determinations, archeological surveys and endangered species reports. Mr. Jones has negotiated prospective purchaser agreements between corporations and state agencies.

Mr. Jones previously served as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Arizona, Environmental Enforcement Section for four years, where he was responsible for the management and coordination of potential responsible party investigations at all state Superfund sites within Arizona.

Mr. Jones is a frequent speaker on environmental and real estate law issues. Recent examples include:

• Featured Speaker, “Environmental Law from Start to Finish,” National Business Institute, Altoona, Wisconsin (November 2015)
• Keynote Speaker, “Environmental Considerations for Agribusiness,” sponsored by Great Western Bank, Mesa, Arizona (January 2015)
• Keynote Speaker, “EPA’s Proposed New Wetland Rules,” Environmental Information Association Southwest Regional Conference, Las Vegas, NV (October 2014)

Since 1995, Mr. Jones enjoys an AV Preeminent® rating by Martindale-Hubbell. He is a member of the State Bar of Arizona (Real Property Section and Environmental & Natural Resources Section), Maricopa County Bar Association (Environmental & Natural Resources Law Section), and the Washington State Bar Association.

Mr. Jones obtained his B.A. from the University of Evansville and his J.D. from Indiana University School of Law. He is admitted to practice in Arizona, Washington and Indiana (inactive).

Education & Bar Admissions

Education

• Indiana University School of Law, J.D.
• University of Evansville, B.A.

Bar Admissions

• Arizona
• Washington
• Indiana (inactive)

In the News

• 12/17/2015 - GSH Welcomes Martin Jones to Phoenix Office

Publications