William P. Scott

Biography

William P. Scott, leader of the GSH Environmental Group, is both an attorney and licensed professional geologist. He has concentrated his legal practice on environmental and natural resources law as applied to real estate development, industrial operations and mergers and acquisitions.

Mr. Scott represents corporations and government clients on matters involving enforcement of environmental regulations; regulatory permits, exemptions and compliance pertaining to air, waste water, solid waste and water resources; environmental cleanup and case closure; Brownfield redevelopment; asbestos abatement; transactional due diligence and liability allocation; dam regulation and controversy; environmental impact analysis; mining regulation; and water law. He has been very successful in resolving controversy by developing and executing strategies for accomplishing client objectives through negotiation and without litigation.

Mr. Scott has successfully advised and performed environmental compliance audits for industrial facilities and CAFO operations in several states; managed the environmental due diligence on a $10 billion natural gas pipeline transaction; advised lake districts on enforcing their rights in groundwater and navigable waters; negotiated favorable outcomes for dam owners and lake districts on contentious issues involving dams; developed and executed strategy for environmental policy act compliance to allow timely construction of a state building project; and has written metallic mining agreements and regulations for both non-metallic and metallic mining. One of Mr. Scott’s Brownfield redevelopment projects received multiple grants and has won multiple awards including a national award for economic impact and state award for adaptive reuse of public land.

Mr. Scott has negotiated complex regulatory compliance agreements, served as environmental counsel to Bankruptcy Trustees, and successfully lobbied the Wisconsin Legislature on administrative rulemaking for environmental issues. His experience gained by years of practice before administrative agencies helps his clients obtain permits and resolve alleged violations. His experience as a geologist helps his clients obtain exemptions and useful permit conditions, control environmental cleanup expenditures, and obtain case closure.

Mr. Scott received his B.A., M.S., and J.D. degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Prior to law school, Mr. Scott’s experience included seven years as a geologist with an interdisciplinary team of scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Extension Geological and Natural History Survey. During law school, he interned with the Wisconsin Public Intervenor working on wetland fills and metallic mine permitting, and also was a law clerk for the Environmental Protection Unit of the Wisconsin Department of Justice working on drainage and dam issues, odor nuisances and various environmental enforcement cases.

Mr. Scott is admitted to practice in Wisconsin, as well as the U.S. District Court for the Eastern and Western Districts of Wisconsin. He is a member of the American Bar Association Section on Environment, Energy, and Resources; the State Bar of Wisconsin Section on Environment; and the Milwaukee Bar Association.

Education & Bar Admissions

Education

• University of Wisconsin-Madison, J.D.
• University of Wisconsin-Madison, M.S.
• University of Wisconsin-Madison, B.A.

Bar Admissions

• Wisconsin
• U.S. District Court, Eastern and Western Districts of Wisconsin

In the News

• 7/25/2013 - GSH Sponsoring and Presenting at WCMIC Corporation Counsel/Defense Counsel Forum
• 10/29/2012 - William Scott presented to the Wisconsin Counties Association
• 10/3/2012 - GSH Client Receives Economic Impact Award for its Successful Brownfield Redevelopment Project
• 10/1/2012 - William Scott Discusses “Hydraulic Fracturing Demand Boosts Silica Sand Mining” in Rigzone Article
• 6/12/2012 - William Scott authors article in the May 2012 edition of The Mutual Effort
• 1/8/2010 - William P. Scott to speak at the INDevelopment event in Appleton, Wisconsin
• 1/25/2008 - Gonzalez Saggio & Harlan LLP welcomes William P. Scott as a Partner