Law Firm Announces Transition of Environmental Practice Group Leadership

According to Kimball’s long-time partner J. Stanton Curry, “In the 1970s, Dave began his environmental career writing regulations as a law student intern at EPA and then he built a preeminent environmental law practice in the Southwest because the more senior attorneys at his original firm were not interested in this strange new area of the law.”

Kimball developed a cadre of environmental lawyers who established the firm of Kimball & Curry in 1990, including Curry, Wallis, Dalva Moellenberg, D. Lee Decker, and others, which merged with Gallagher & Kennedy in 1995.

Patti Marshall, the firm’s Human Resources and Office Manager, was initially hired as Kimball & Curry’s office and account administrator in 1990. Joining Gallagher & Kennedy in 1995 with the Kimball & Curry merger, Marshall continued her role with the environmental group until 2013 when she became the firm’s Office Manager.

Dave (Kimball) would be lobbying at the Capitol the entire legislative season, and ultimately, was instrumental in writing numerous state environmental laws,” said Marshall. “I was so proud to be part of this team, known as the largest and most well-known environmental practice west of the Mississippi. Their passion for the law is what drew me to this industry and it’s what has kept me here for the last 33 years.”

Kimball has served as a national adviser to some of the largest domestic companies and state, county, and local governments in all aspects of environmental and natural resources law, including waste management regulation, public lands and mining, surface and groundwater quality issues, and remediation. He is a founding member of the State Bar of Arizona’s Environmental and Natural Resources Law Section; founder of the Arizona Hazardous Waste Society; member and 25-year chair of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce’s Environmental Committee; Environmental Advisor to the Arizona Rock Products Association and Arizona Mining Association; and member of the Arizona and National Mining Associations.

The G&K environmental team long has represented business clients as leaders in their trade associations, including The Fertilizer Institute (TFI), Arizona Rock Products Association (ARPA), and Arizona Mining Association (AMA).

Wallis, who joined the group in 1989, said, “We’ve been proudly serving institutional clients like Freeport-McMoRan since the 1970s with permitting, remediation, and regulatory work across the Southwest and the country.”

Wallis’ practice focuses on complex environmental remediation, enforcement, litigation, and regulatory counseling. He has helped clients resolve their environmental liabilities and negotiate cost recovery and cleanup settlements involving soil, groundwater, and sediment cleanup at over 100 remediation sites in 20 states. He has conducted over 120 comprehensive environmental compliance audits in 30 states, Brazil, Canada, and Venezuela, as well as counseled clients on over 500 real estate transactions in 12 states. He was the primary author of the Arizona Solid Waste Statute and amendments to Arizona’s Hazardous Waste, Special Waste, Used Oil, and Waste Tire Statutes.

In assuming the role of environmental practice group leader, Wallis said, “It’s an honor to lead this talented and distinguished team of environmental and natural resource law experts. Having worked with this group of attorneys and many of our clients for more than 30 years, we will continue providing the highest level of legal acumen and client service in the state and throughout the country.”