Overview Experience Case Studies Insights Events News Outside the Office Community Leadership

Kevin D. Johnson

Partner

Minneapolis
phone: 612.852.2711
fax: 612.852.2701

email: [email protected]

Overview Experience Case Studies

Insights Events News

Outside the Office Community Leadership

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Overview

Kevin works with clients to resolve environmental, energy and natural resource legal issues in project development, transactions, and regulatory compliance matters.

For nearly three decades, Kevin has helped clients resolve environmental, energy and natural resource legal issues. He has a particular focus on renewable energy projects and businesses -- including those involving bioenergy (waste-to-energy) and biofuels (ethanol and biodiesel) -- as well as waste management projects and redevelopment of contaminated sites.

His practice is comprehensive in scope, and he is routinely called on by clients to develop solutions to address:

Siting and development of major facilities
Regulatory compliance and response to enforcement actions
Federal, state, and local permitting
Due diligence in transactions
Property contamination issues

Kevin is a frequent author and speaker on the legal and regulatory landscape for the energy, agribusiness, brownfields redevelopment, and waste management industries. He is a longtime member of the environmental law sections of both local and national bar associations and is active in several industry trade associations.

Industry

Energy & Natural Resources

Services

Biofuels, Biomass, & Landfill Gas

Environmental

Solar Energy

Wind Energy

Education

J.D., Mitchell Hamline School of Law
- Environmental Law focus
M.A., Hamline University
- Public Administration
B.A., University of Minnesota
- Journalism

Admissions

Minnesota
U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota

Not admitted to practice in Wisconsin.

Professional Memberships and Certifications

Member; Environment, Energy and Resources Section; American Bar Association
Member; Environmental, Natural Resources and Energy Law Sections; Minnesota, Hennepin and Ramsey State/County Bar Associations
Member, Environmental Initiative, a Minnesota non-profit environmental and energy issues organization
Member, Minnesota Brownfields, a non-profit brownfields redevelopment organization
Member, Recycling Association of Minnesota
Member, Solid Waste Association of North America
Member, Minnesota Resource Recovery Association
Member, Air & Waste Management Association

Experience

Works with clients to address legal issues associated with new and existing energy generation and production facilities, with a particular focus on facilities designed to recover energy and resources from municipal solid waste. For example, he assisted the Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy Board in acquiring a privately-owned refuse-derived fuel facility in Newport, MN, including assistance in negotiating multiple agreements and addressing permitting and other transactional issues. He also advises many other local governments on solid waste management legal issues.
Assists clients in overcoming permitting and other regulatory challenges. Kevin assisted one of the largest egg production operations in the U.S. in overcoming state and federal regulatory and permitting issues in the siting and development of their largest facility in Iowa.
Helps clients to resolve soil and groundwater contamination issues. He has assisted some of the largest agribusiness companies in the U.S. in addressing past environmental contamination at multiple sites around the country. He also assisted a Twin Cities district energy project in expanding its underground piping infrastructure through a former Superfund site with multiple owners.
Helps clients in resolving enforcement actions brought by federal, state and local regulators. Kevin has handled major environmental enforcement cases brought against clients by the U.S. EPA as well as state agencies, such as the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. He helps clients negotiate resolutions to enforcement actions that meet their needs and are acceptable to regulators.
Provides guidance on environmental due diligence matters in mergers and acquisition transactions.

Articles | Ongoing Publication

Minnesota Chapter of Brownfields Law and Practice, "The Cleanup and Redevelopment of Contaminated Land"

Articles | April 06, 2020

Bloomberg Law Environment & Energy Report: "INSIGHT: Waste-to-Energy Projects Not Immune from Covid-19"

Speaking Engagements | November 12, 2018

Presenter, "Minnesota Brightfields: Solar Opportunities on Closed Landfills Legal Considerations," MnSEIA Gateway to Solar Conference

Speaking Engagements | May 16, 2018

Presenter, "Energy Generation and the Role of Bioenergy"

Media Mentions | May 15, 2023

Minnesota Lawyer: Husch Blackwell names Kukuljan managing partner

News | May 12, 2023

Law360: Husch Blackwell Launches Minneapolis Office (log-in required)

News Releases | March 03, 2023

Minneapolis-Based Kevin Johnson Joins Husch Blackwell

Media Mentions | February 27, 2023

Minnesota Lawyer: Minneapolis-based Kevin Johnson joins Husch Blackwell

Community Leadership

Past board member, Great River Greening, a Minnesota non-profit habitat restoration organization
Past president, Bryn Mawr Neighborhood Association, Minneapolis, Minnesota