Deborah practices in the areas of environmental, real estate, and land use law, with a focus on assisting clients to understand, manage, and limit environmental risks associated with property and business transactions. Deborah represents a diverse array of clients through environmental aspects of purchasing or selling real estate or businesses that have significant environmental liabilities, including navigating investigation and remedial obligations under the State’s new “Release-Based Cleanup Program” (RBCP) and legacy obligations under the Connecticut Transfer Act. She guides clients through remediation and redevelopment of brownfield and environmentally sensitive properties, including negotiating environment use restrictions for contaminated properties with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP) and regularly advises regarding environmental permitting and compliance issues.

Deborah was an active participant in the State’s overhaul of Connecticut’s environmental regulatory framework, and served on one of the CT DEEP subcommittees formed to assist the State with its development of the RBCP, which replaced the Transfer Act effective March 1, 2026 and drastically changed environmental compliance obligations in the State.

Deborah has cultivated close relationships with regulators and the consultant community, which enable her to efficiently assist clients with environmental matters. She applies her years of experience, including a background at a prominent public interest environmental advocacy organization, to provide clients with pragmatic, cost-effective, and creative solutions to environmental issues.

Deborah is also experienced in representing developers, institutions, and property owners in a wide range of real estate and commercial transactions, and land use matters.

Deborah is ranked by Chambers USA Guide 2024, 2025, and 2026 as a leading lawyer for Environmental law in Connecticut.

Deborah regularly receives outstanding reviews from clients including:

“Deborah is simply amazing. She is responsive, understands the current and changing regulatory landscape, and provides insightful and sound guidance.”

“Deborah is a brilliant attorney who understands the needs of our business and cares to get the desired outcome.”

Chambers USA

• Environmental counsel to an electric utility in connection with the acquisition of properties subject to the legacy Connecticut Transfer Act in Ansonia, CT, for the staging and storage of critical tower-related projects; facilitating and completing an Environmental Land Use Restriction for a property in Milford, CT, that is subject to remediation obligations; and providing legal advice and a formal opinion regarding appropriateness of use of one of the former State’s voluntary remediation programs to conduct remediation at a decommissioned substation site in Bridgeport, CT.

• Counseled a premier U.S. independent power producer on local environmental considerations regarding the $3 billion sale of ownership interest in its energy portfolio, including analysis of whether a gas-fired power station would be subject to the Connecticut Transfer Act. Advised on pre-transaction environmental diligence and disclosures regarding environmental permitting and site history for the facility, including prior Transfer Act compliance history, and Public Utilities Regulatory Authority/Connecticut Site Council regulatory filing/notice requirements.

• Represents an interstate natural gas pipeline company in various environmental matters, including a polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination remediation matter at a compressor station property, an easement procurement for a pipeline hazard mitigation project, and air permitting applications for various compression stations.

• Represents a multinational chemical company regarding a remediation of a 166-acre legacy Brownfield property that falls under the Connecticut Transfer Act and the Federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Previously assisted the client in securing an approval from CT DEEP of an “engineered control variance application,” which will serve as a compliance mechanism in certain areas considered capped.

• Provides environmental counsel on a significant retail chain store operator’s business operations and real estate holdings, including regulatory, permitting and compliance advice. Negotiates deadlines and agreeable remedial approaches with CT DEEP for properties impacted by tetrachloroethene (PCE), chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, chlorinated volatile contaminants, asbestos waste lagoons, underground storage tanks and other environmental issues.

• Provides environmental guidance on a metal product manufacturer’s warehouse/commercial/industrial property portfolio and counseled on matters such as negotiating a long-term ground-lease with purchase option that faced significant compliance enforcement from a variety of Town and State agencies (including the building office, planning & zoning, blight office, CT DEEP, OSHA and EPA), assisting with refinancing of a property subject the Transfer Act and assisting in the short-term lease and divestment of a commercial property in Branford, CT, with extensive environmental history.

• Special environmental counsel to a state bonding authority in financing projects ranging from $6 million to $129 million.

• Facilitating Connecticut Transfer Act compliance of a $29 million Brownfield project, including applying an Environmental Use Restriction, for a development and asset management company.

• Represented national developer, Argent Ventures, as its environmental counsel during the $58 million acquisition of office buildings in Norwalk, CT.

• Serves as long-term environmental counsel to a real estate investment and management company responsible for remediating a significant underground storage tank release at a $13 million commercial property, including helping client navigate supplemental/alternative remedial options (bioremediation injection technology) and negotiating contractual remedial and financial assurance obligations.

• Provides environmental counsel in connection with a $15 million property subject to Federal Superfund/CERCLA law and Connecticut Transfer Act investigation/remediation requirements.

• Facilitated a successful application for Brownfield funding with the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development for an affordable housing development in Norwalk, CT, and advised regarding contracts related to environmental abatement work.

• Counseled a regulated waste management and resource recovery service company on the acquisition of a Connecticut property to expand household hazardous waste/recycling operations.

• Guided a prominent local specialty hardware manufacturing company through an application to a State Brownfield liability relief program in connection with acquiring a contaminated property to expand its business operations.

• Connecticut Bar Association, Environmental Law Section Executive Committee, 2021-2024

• Connecticut Society for Women Environmental Professionals (SWEP),  Executive Committee/Co-chair

• Environmental Professionals Organization of Connecticut (EPOC)

• Fairfield County Bar Association

• Norwalk Leadership Institute Program, 2020

• NYC Environmental Law Leadership Institute, 2009

• Former Chair of the Fairfield County Bar Association Environmental Section, 2020-2021
• Former Board Member of the Mutual Housing Association of Southwestern Connecticut, Inc.