Squire Patton Boggs is pleased to announce that James Eklund has joined as of counsel in the firm’s global Environmental, Safety & Health Practice, based in Denver. Mr. Eklund arrives from the State of Colorado where he most recently served as Director of the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB). Prior to CWCB, he was Senior Deputy Legal Counsel to Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper and Assistant Attorney General in the Colorado Department of Law.
“James has done important work for the state of Colorado in leading the creation and initial implementation of Colorado’s Water Plan,” said Gov. John Hickenlooper. “We expect this document and the collaborative work that both led up to it and leads from it to continue guiding Coloradans as we navigate the challenge of managing finite water supplies in a steadily growing state. We thank James for his dedication to this project, wish him the very best, and are glad he'll continue to be a part of Colorado's water conversation in his new position.”
“James’ intricate knowledge of key legislative and legal matters, often pertaining to water and natural resources, along with his experience as architect of Colorado’s first-ever statewide water plan, will be a strong addition to our best-in-class Environmental, Infrastructure and Public Policy teams,” said Karen A. Winters, partner and chair of the Environmental, Safety & Health Practice. “We are thrilled to welcome James to the firm.”
“As a fifth generation Coloradan, James has a deep appreciation for and investment in solving the many issues related to the conservation, development, management and use of water resources, regionally, nationally and globally,” said Peter Gould, managing partner of the Denver office. “Clients and colleagues alike will be eager to work with him and will benefit from his notable experience and expertise.”
Mr. Eklund has extensive experience in environmental, public policy, regulatory and legislative matters. His practice focuses on environmental and natural resources issues and public infrastructure projects, particularly in relation to water. In addition, Mr. Eklund has represented the state of Colorado in interstate and international water matters. As the state’s Colorado River representative, he has worked with representatives from other states, members of Congress and federal agencies to protect the health of the Colorado River system. He has worked on public-private partnership financing projects and is active in the Intermountain Infrastructure Exchange, a collaborative effort to leverage public-private partnerships to shore up the shortfall in infrastructure funding.
“Squire Patton Boggs has long-standing expertise in the environmental and natural resources sectors, with strong teams throughout its global platform. I look forward to the opportunity to collaborate with my new colleagues across a number of areas and to add depth to the service we provide our clients,” said Mr. Eklund.
Mr. Eklund’s appointment follows a number of strategic hires across the firm’s Environmental and Infrastructure Practices. The firm recently appointed environmental litigator Emily Huggins Jones as partner in its Environmental, Safety & Health Practice in Cleveland; recruited a global energy, infrastructure and project finance team led by Neil Upton to its London office; and hired Lem O. Smith IV, former Director for US Government and Regulatory Affairs of Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. and a Capitol Hill veteran, as principal in its Energy & Environment Public Policy Practice, based in the firm’s Denver and Washington DC offices. In further recognition of the firm’s expertise in this area, Squire Patton Boggs won Law360’s 2016 “Practice Group of the Year” Award for Environmental Law.
