Overview

Meaghan A. Colligan is an attorney licensed in Washington, D.C., and New York and a member of Holland & Knight's Public Policy & Regulation Group. She focuses her practice in the areas of environmental, land use, renewable energy and municipal law.

Ms. Colligan provides strategic legal, policy and business advice to manufacturing, transportation and energy clients that are developing innovative technologies and sustainable practices that reduce emissions, increase renewable energy, increase the recyclability of products, and reduce the amount of waste in landfills and the ocean. Her work is grounded in guiding and assisting industries with formulating regulatory, legislative, and operational pathways to create and transition to a circular economy and deploy renewable energy.

While the nation transitions with a focus on environmental sustainability goals (ESGs) and decarbonizing, Ms. Colligan assists companies with mitigating environmental contamination risks and successful reuse of impacted properties. This work includes Superfund, Clean Water Act (CWA), Clean Air Act (CAA), Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), and tort litigation and enforcement defense; brownfield redevelopment with renewable energy sources; and environmental support in real estate and corporate transactions involving potentially contaminated land and compliance concerns. Ms. Colligan has extensive experience with issues related to site selection and permitting for innovative development, and emerging contaminants, such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

Ms. Colligan also assists companies with preventing new impacts through the development and management of environmental, health and safety compliance programs. Her work includes frequent contact with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state environmental regulatory agencies; negotiations between companies regarding their "fair share" of cleanup costs for historic contamination at large Superfund sites; and complex financial, business, insurance and engineering risk analysis.

Credentials

Education
  • Pace University School of Law, J.D., Environmental Certificate, with honors
  • Bard College, M.S., Environmental Policy, with honors
  • State University of New York at Geneseo, B.A., Sociology, with honors
Bar Admissions/Licenses
  • District of Columbia
  • New York
Court Admissions
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
  • All State Courts in New York
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
Memberships
  • ABA Section of Environment, Energy and Resources (SEER), Congressional Relations Chair, 2021-Present; Environmental Transactions and Brownfields Committee, Co-Chair, 2019-2021; Web Board, 2017- 2019; Vice Chair of Electronic Communications and Social Media, 2014-2019
  • New York State Bar Association, Environmental & Energy Law Section, Brownfields Task Force, 2014-Present; Social Media Task Force Chair, 2016-2018
  • Teach For America, Miami-Dade County Corps Member, 2008-2010
Honors & Awards
  • DC Rising Star, The National Law Journal Legal Awards, 2023
  • The Best Lawyers in America guide, Washington, D.C. Environmental Law Ones to Watch, 2021-2023; Washington, D.C. Government Relations Practice Ones to Watch, 2022-2024
  • Law360 Rising Stars, Environmental, 2022

Publications

Speaking Engagements

News