Martha A Dean

Martha’s in-depth knowledge of environmental law and issues and her skills as a litigator saved our organization on several fronts. In conflicts with municipal and State agencies over environmental pollution claims, she was adroit in developing defenses that resolved those issues as well as forestall...ing future claims. She was equally adept in the court room, securing a solid win for us when litigants attempted to shut down our entire operation. She then guided us through the arduous process of obtaining local, State, and Federal permits for site improvements in State and Federal wetlands. She is skillful in her field of law, and pleasant to work with…a winning combination.

I am one of the officers of the Metacon Gun Club in Simsbury, CT. Several years ago the club was subjected to an intense attack by some of our neighbors who used every avenue possible to shut us down, including lawsuits at both the state and federal level on environmental grounds. The club retained... Martha to represent us and after a long and exasperating battle we prevailed in both cases and are still operating to this day. The suit in federal court was even appealed and we survived that also. Martha's firm was able to tie our case to a recently-won Supreme Court victory in the environmental field and the group that had won that case took the lead in defending our case also, which saved us a lot of money. Without the services of a very knowledgeable and energetic attorney our club would surely have been shut down. We had to deal with local, state and federal agencies on matters of safety, design, operations, and environmental stewardship and Martha was invaluable in helping us navigate the difficult and sometimes exasperating path through all the requirements and regulations that are in effect these days. She was able to guide a bunch of laymen through a very difficult battle and kept us on the path to victory with grace and humor, which helped a lot.

We are owners of two properties that were once used as gas stations; we never owned or operated the stations. Both properties have/had environmental issues relative to the past uses. Martha Dean assisted us as we navigated the issues regarding our rights as innocent parties and our responsibilities ...under state and Federal regulations. Martha is an expert in her field and I highly recommend her for someone who needs assistance navigating the very complex issues involving environmental law.

I purchased a mini plaza with a gas station without knowing all the ins and outs of owning a potentially very expensive liability. I did my "due diligent'" of a stage I environmental studies of the property and thought that was all. After meeting with an acquaintance, who is an owner of the local... gasoline distributor and gas stations, he advised me to have Attorney Martha Dean review over the environmental studies and the lease on the gas station tenant. He highly recommended Attorney Martha Dean. In her review, Attorney Martha Dean picked up many issues that my previous attorney had missed. Issues like who is ultimately responsible if there was a gasoline leak at the gas station, what agreements are in the lease, and what I needed in documentations to made sure that I was protected as the landowner from any potential environmental liabilities the gas station tenant can cause in their operations As her client, she made sure that I was protected in every way and advises me in my best interest. She would explain both the pros and cons of the situation and gives her opinions and experiences on the laws. She provides an excellent professional service at a personal level.