Rebecca Wright Pritchett

Rebecca Pritchett is an experienced environmental, natural resources, and oil and gas attorney, focusing on the Intersection of Government and Business. With a deep background in environmental and natural resources law, Rebecca’s practice includes environmental permitting and compliance, enforcement defense, brownfield redevelopment, hazardous waste, CERCLA contribution and cost recovery, water quality, water rights, oil & gas exploration and production, mining, timber, legislative drafting, and lobbying.

Rebecca advises developers, property owners, and lenders during the redevelopment of urban and rural brownfield properties and landowners with issues related to wetlands, endangered species, concentrated animal feeding operations, borrow pits, and the construction of logging roads. She has litigated environmental cases in federal and state courts and administrative hearings before state environmental agencies and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Rebecca helps clients deal with all aspects of contaminated property, from environmental permitting and reporting requirements to brownfield redevelopment, financial incentives, and financing options. She also represents clients in CERCLA/Superfund matters, including negotiating administrative orders with EPA, performing multi-party cost allocations, managing cooperating groups of potentially responsible parties (PRPs), and bringing cost recovery actions on behalf of PRP groups.

Rebecca assists commercial, industrial, and municipal utility clients in Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act issues, including regulatory compliance, internal environmental audits, permitting, citizen suit defense, and administrative enforcement defense. Rebecca also works with estate planning and administration attorneys in planning and administering estates with potentially contaminated property.

Rebecca also represents operators, working interest owners, and mineral owners in matters before the Alabama Oil & Gas Board and environmental regulatory matters.

Rebecca earned her J.D. from the University of Oregon School of Law, where she also received a Certificate of Completion in Environmental and Natural Resources Law. Further, she received her B.S. in Journalism and Public Relations from the University of Southern Mississippi and recently served on their Foundation Board. She credits her public relations background as a critical factor in her ability to create a unique and creative strategy to help solve her clients’ issues and meet their goals.

Rebecca is a member of the Alabama State Bar and the past chair of its environmental and natural resources section, actively involved in the Alabama Center for Real Estate’s Leadership Council, and the former president of Birmingham Commercial Real Estate Women (BirminghamCREW). She is a former regulator, having served for eight years on the Alabama Oil & Gas Board where she oversaw the exploration and production of oil and natural gas in the state. She is Alabama’s appointee to the Interstate Oil & Gas Compact Commission’s Environmental Committee. Rebecca has held numerous leadership roles in the American Bar Association since joining in 1994, including serving on the Section of Environment, Energy and Resources’ governing Council. Rebecca serves as the National Wildlife Federation’s Eastern Vice-Chair of its Board of Directors and is past president of the Alabama Wildlife Federation.