Overview
Jeff Porter is an environment attorney in Holland & Knight's Boston office, known for his ability to help clients navigate complex environmental legal challenges at the intersection of law, policy and science.
Mr. Porter was named Boston Environmental Lawyer of the Year and Boston Litigation – Environmental Lawyer of the Year by The Best Lawyers in America 2026 guide. Forbes named him the Best Environmental Lawyer in Massachusetts and one of the Top 200 Lawyers in America. He has been ranked Band 1 by Chambers USA in Environmental Law for decades, among many other honors.
Mr. Porter's practice includes permitting of the most complicated infrastructure and development projects and complex litigation, including relating to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), Clean Water Act (CWA) and Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA or Superfund) disputes. His clients include Fortune 500 companies, developers and public agencies that rely on his strategic insight and nuanced understanding of environmental law.
Mr. Porter secured one of the largest private-party Superfund response cost recoveries in Massachusetts history. He has also successfully defended a client against claims of municipal water supply contamination and negotiated complex remediation agreements with state and federal agencies.
In addition, Mr. Porter led the permitting of what is now Encore Boston Harbor and Innovation Point, a waterfront tower fully permitted within 18 months of site acquisition. He is known for his ability to keep collaborative relationships with regulators even in adversarial circumstances.
Mr. Porter has also helped shape environmental policy in Massachusetts and beyond. He played a key role in the drafting of the state's Brownfield legislation that encouraged the redevelopment of contaminated industrial sites across the Commonwealth. He is the only environmental lawyer to have served on the transition committees for both Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Andrea Campbell, as well as Attorney General Andrea Campbell.
Beyond his legal practice, Mr. Porter is a trustee of the Massachusetts Environmental Trust and a fellow and co-chair of the Board of Regents of the American College of Environmental Lawyers. He is also a trustee of the Massachusetts chapter of The Nature Conservancy, having previously served as chair, and a former chair of Boston Harbor Now.
Mr. Porter's writings on the CWA, PFAS liability and coastal resilience have been published widely, contributing to the national dialogue on those topics.
Representative Experience
- Obtained one of the largest private-party Superfund response cost recoveries in Massachusetts history after filing a motion for summary judgment of the responsible party's liability
- Represented a pharmaceutical manufacturer in connection with the acquisition of a portion of a former military base for the construction of a large-scale biologics manufacturing facility
- Obtained dismissal of contamination-related property damage claims made by the owner of an industrial property against its long-time tenant
- Successfully defended a client against a claim that it was responsible for contamination of a municipal water supply
- Represented an owner of a former urban rail yard in connection with its remediation and planned redevelopment, including interactions with the rail operator
- Represented a resort developer in connection with environmental and legal issues relating to the remediation and redevelopment of its waterfront site
- Successfully represented a Boston-based multinational conglomerate regarding the remediation of the Housatonic River, including successful petition to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Environmental Appeals Board and several rounds of high-level negotiations with the EPA, U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, as well as advocacy with elected officials and other stakeholders; representation culminated in a widely supported 2020 agreement between EPA, Housatonic River Municipalities, Connecticut and the client, leading to expedited actions to remediate the river
- Represented a client in the acquisition, permitting and redevelopment of its Boston global headquarters site; representation included dealings with the purchaser of the site and advocacy before Massachusetts and Boston permitting authorities, culminating in one of the most rapid approvals of a waterfront construction project in Massachusetts history
- Successfully represented Trustees of the Reservations and other land protection organizations in amicus briefing to Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court regarding application of Article 97 of the Massachusetts Constitution to protect land purchased by a municipality for conservation purposes
- Represented owners of condominiums and resort property in amicus briefing to the U.S. Supreme Court regarding whether the Federal Clean Water Act extends to state-permitted discharges of treated effluent to groundwater
Credentials
- Cornell Law School, J.D.
- Bates College, B.A., Political Science, cum laude
- Massachusetts
- American College of Environmental Lawyers, Regent, Fellow, and Member of the Executive Committee
- Massachusetts Environmental Trust, Trustee, 2013-Present
- The Nature Conservancy, Massachusetts Chapter, Member, Board of Trustees and Former Board Chair
- Boston Harbor Now, Board of Trustees, Chair, 2017-2021
- Massachusetts Development Finance Agency, Board of Directors, 2013-2016
- The Nature Conservancy Global Trustee Advisory Council, Chair, 2014-2015; Vice Chair, 2013-2014
- Boston Harbor Island Alliance, Former Board Member and Officer, 2000-2013
- Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Waste Site Clean Up Advisory Committee
- American Bar Association
- Massachusetts Bar Association
- Boston Bar Association
- The Best Lawyers in America guide, Environmental Lawyer of the Year – Boston, Environmental Litigator of the Year – Boston, 2026; Environmental Law, Litigation, 2006-2025
- Forbes Best-In-State Lawyers, Best Massachusetts Environmental Lawyer, 2025
- Massachusetts Super Lawyers magazine, Environmental, 2004-2023, 2025
- Top 200 Lawyers in America, Forbes, 2024
- Environmental Lawyer of the Year in Massachusetts, Global Law Experts, 2024
- Chambers USA – America's Leading Business Lawyers guide, Band 1, Environment Law, 2004-2024
- Lawdragon 500, Leading Environmental Lawyers, 2023-2025
- Top Author, Environmental, JD Supra Readers' Choice Awards, 2022, 2024
- Boston Magazine, Top Lawyer, Environmental, 2023
- Go To Lawyer, Environmental/Energy Law, Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, 2023
- Who's Who Legal, Environment & Climate Change, 2022-2023
- Legal Influencer, Infrastructure – U.S., Lexology, Q2 2021, Q3 2021, Q2 2022
- Global Excellence Awards, Most Outstanding Environmental Lawyer – Boston, Acquisition International magazine, 2018
- Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated
- Phi Beta Kappa