Laura J. Riese

Laura Riese is a partner at Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP. She joined the firm in 1994 and the partnership in 1996.

She has 35 years of experience working in the environmental, health and safety, and regulatory fields, specializing in complex regulatory matters involving RCRA, CERCLA, OPA, CWA, CAA, Consent Decrees, enforcement defense, and crisis management in cases involving fatalities and catastrophic injuries.

Laura represents global and regional chemical and oil companies in highly confidential matters. She recently settled an EPA Clean Water Act enforcement action for a fraction of the potential billion-dollar fine. Laura has represented clients in connection with several major oil spills, including in the Gulf of Mexico and overseas, and has handled over 30 OSHA fatality and catastrophic injury investigations, with many resulting in no citations. She has extensive experience with asbestos contamination at large facilities.

Working collaboratively with stakeholders, she recently worked to close out a hazardous waste corrective action program in less than three years and assisted another client in resolving a series of alleged hazardous waste violations. She worked with a client to achieve withdrawal of almost all Facility Response Plan and SPCC Plan alleged violations at a bulk facility in Baytown, TX.

Laura is also working on a former refinery site with legacy issues that are being addressed under an approved Voluntary Cleanup Plan in Colorado. She represents petroleum refineries in several states in connection with EPA Fuels Program regulations, Clean Air Act Consent Decree obligations, and general environmental compliance matters. Additionally, Laura is representing a petroleum exploration and production company in its response to EPA’s Section 114 request under the Clean Air Act.

Laura has maintained an AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell and is a Fellow of the Colorado Bar Foundation. She is included each year in Best Lawyers © in the field of Environmental Law.

She was awarded the Top Women in Energy Award in 2018 by the Denver Business Journal. She received the University of Denver’s Excellence in Education Award, having taught several environmental law courses to graduate students in the University of Denver’s Environmental Policy and Management Program.

Presentations

• National Enforcement Training Institute
• Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Institute
• Environmental Protection Agency – Region VIII
• Colorado Bar Association – Annual Convention
• Denver Bar Association
• Colorado Oil and Gas Association
• National Oil Recyclers Association
• Solid Waste Association of North America
• Colorado Hazardous Waste Management Society
• Rocky Mountain Association of Environmental Professionals