Serve on City Council for the City of Charleston, West Virginia as the elected Council Member from Ward 12 which consists of Fort Hill, Forest Hills, and Vandalia. Currently Chairman of the Finance and Parking Committees and a member of the Parks and Recreation Committee.

Assist clients with navigating the local, state and federal environmental, oil and gas, mining and transportation regulatory landscapes. Work closely with agencies to meet regulatory requirements and resolve disputes. Monitor and summarize for clients, trade organizations and professional organizations current litigation, legislative and regulatory developments involving oil and gas operations, including aboveground storage tanks, air emissions, construction stormwater and endangered species. Work closely with technical consultants and experts. Manage and work as a team on environmental, oil and gas, leasing, real estate and condemnation litigation. Assist oil and gas operators with addressing coal industry objections to their operations.

Worked with several agency offices including the Division of Mining and Reclamation, the Office of Oil and Gas, Division of Water and Waste Management, Division of Air Quality and Division of Land Restoration. Defended challenges to oil and gas, NPDES and SMCRA permits and violations issued by the agency, including the successful defense of a challenge to the State’s notice, comment and appeal procedures for surface owners with regards to the issuance of oil and natural gas well permits before the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia. Martin v. Hamblet, 230 W. Va. 183, 737 S.E.2d 80 (2012). Worked extensively with technical personnel on permitting and enforcement matters. Counseled on and assisted with general matters involving environmental policy, rulemaking, legislation, permitting and enforcement in mining, oil and gas, water, blasting, dam safety and UIC. Conducted in-house trainings for agency staff.

Served as a senate committee legal advisor by: researching, drafting, reviewing and editing proposed legislation; counseling leadership and senators; presenting proposed legislation at committee meetings; and working with trade associations, businesses, citizens and other stakeholders on proposed legislation. Worked extensively on the Horizontal Well Act, W. Va. Code § 22-6A-1, et seq.

Conducted and managed federal, state and administrative litigation and appeals in the fields of oil & gas, mining, environmental, contract, mineral leasing and criminal law. Served for several years as a CJA attorney for the U. S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia. Successfully represented a defendant in a federal indictment charging 55 defendants with RICO and other offenses and served as a liaison with the court for defense counsel in this expansive case on matters relating to discovery and CJA management.

Conducted litigation and legal research in the fields of environmental, mining and natural resources law as well as serving as appointed counsel in criminal and abuse and neglect proceedings. Managed entire legal practice and daily business operations.

Assisted Judge Kirkpatrick in research, preparing orders and decision-making on various issues regarding civil, criminal and administrative appeals including an administrative appeal from the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection requiring the interpretation of state and federal environmental and mining law. Assisted in all aspects of courtroom management.