James F. (Jamie) Thompson and Charlene B. Wright have joined Shook, Hardy & Bacon as partners in the firm’s national Environmental and Toxic Tort Practice. Thompson will be resident in the Kansas City office. Wright will be resident in Houston. Both were previously partners at Lathrop & Gage in Kansas City.

Thompson’s practice focuses on representing clients in federal and state environmental litigation, insurance, compliance and real property matters. He advises oil and gas companies on environmental permitting, compliance and enforcement actions. Thompson also represents companies in real property and commercial transactions, as well as environmental cost recovery litigation. He has helped clients obtain financial benefits from Brownfields initiative programs, negotiated cleanup cost-cap and property transfer insurance coverage, and created innovative contract solutions to enable Brownfields projects to succeed.

A frequent lecturer on environmental and real property issues, Thompson earned his J.D. from the University of Kansas School of Law and his B.S. from the University of Kansas.

Wright is an energy and pipeline specialist whose practice focuses on regulatory matters and litigation arising from the construction and operation of natural gas, crude oil, refined products and gas liquids pipelines and the transportation and storage of hazardous materials. She advises clients on complex federal and state laws, agency regulations and industry standards including the Pipeline Safety Act, Federal Hazardous Materials Transportation law, OSHA, Toxic Substances Control Act, the PCB Mega Rule, LP Gas Code, NFPA, API, and CSA Standards.

Wright has represented clients in litigation throughout the United States in matters arising from ruptures, leaks, fires and explosions. She earned her J.D. and M.P.A. from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law, where she has served as an adjunct professor, and her B.A. from the University of Connecticut.

“The addition of Jamie and Charlene is a great example of the firm’s commitment to expand strategically rather than simply growing for growth’s sake,” said SHB Chair John Murphy. “They each bring unique experience and areas of expertise in a way that complements what is already a very strong area for us.”

Chambers USA America’s Leading Lawyers for Business describes Shook’s Environmental and Toxic Tort practice as “market leading.”

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