SCOTT HITCH’s practice is devoted to a wide range of environmental and land use issues in regulatory, transactional, and litigation matters. Working out of our Atlanta office, he counsels clients on issues and matters involving air quality and emerging greenhouse gas emissions and climate change regulations; sustainable and alternative energy sources, including biofuels, landfill gas, and waste-to-energy projects; nanotechnology law; corporate responsibility and sustainability; “green” building design and construction; “all appropriate inquiry” and other aspects of environmental law related to real estate and corporate transactions; brownfields redevelopment and environmental remediation; water quality and resource allocation; regulation of impacts to wetlands and to storm water; solid, hazardous and electronics waste issues; and land conservation.

Mr. Hitch is actively involved in professional and community organizations. He is President of the International Board of Directors of CEMPROC, a non-profit focused on mediation and peace-making in both Ecuador and Georgia, and serves on the boards of the Georgia Land Trust Service Center/Georgia Wetlands and Streams Trust Fund and Rivers Alive. He also serves as the Parent Chair of Environmental Studies at High Meadows School.

He also serves on the Urban Land Institute Sustainability Committee, the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce Environmental Policy & Sustainability Committee, the steering committee for the Georgia Chamber of Commerce 2008 Environmental Conference, the St. David's Episcopal Church Green Guild and the Georgia Economic Developers Association Natural Resources and Environmental Committee. Scott is a founding member of the Atlanta Net Impact Professionals Chapter and is one of a handful of Georgia-based lawyers who have been designated as LEED Accredited Professionals (LEED AP) by the US Green Building Council (USGBC).

Scott and his wife, Angie, live with their daughters, Eliza and Juliana, and dog, Rocky, in Roswell, Georgia. He is an Eagle Scout.

Representative Experience

• • Coordinated environmental diligence and negotiated environmental provisions of stock purchase agreement and access agreements for site assessments in connection with sale of national manufacturing business
  • Advised cellulosic ethanol and biodiesel producers regarding environmental permitting, sustainability, business and technology planning and public policy issues
  • Working to implement sustainable energy generation program at several closed landfills in major metropolitan area
  • Advocated to secure groundwater drinking supply for municipality
  • Assisted with environmental impact study for a major regional transportation initiative
  • Facilitated initial transactions under Georgia’s first transferable development rights program, drafted portions of enabling legislation
  • Facilitated methane gas-to-energy transaction between municipal landfill and industrial facility
  • Guided clients through many environmentally and economically successful brownfields redevelopment projects, securing several of the first approvals under Georgia’s program
  • Negotiated favorable settlement of Clean Water Act citizens’ suit
  • Represented rural county in preventing ill-planned hazardous waste disposal facility from development on property adjacent to important local water resource
  • Secured unanimous decision of Georgia Supreme Court, on oral argument, against challenge brought by adjacent landowner seeking to overturn consent order that afforded significant protections to client

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

• • American Bar Association: Section of Environment, Energy and Resources
  • American Constitution Society: Georgia Lawyer Chapter, Executive Committee, 2004 – present
  • Atlanta Bar Association: Chair, Community Outreach Committee, 2003 – 2004; Member, 2002 – present
  • Georgia Chamber of Commerce, 2008 Environmental Conference Steering Committee
  • Georgia Economic Developers’ Association, Natural Resources and Environmental Committee
  • German-American Chamber of Commerce of the Southern United States (GACC South)
  • Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, Environmental Policy & Sustainability Committee
  • Net Impact Atlanta Professionals' Chapter, Founding Member
  • Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels Committee
  • Urban Land Institute, Co-Chair, Sustainability Committee Education Sub-Committee, 2008 - present; Member, Environmental Committee, 2002 – 2004
  • U.S. Green Building Committee, Atlanta Chapter
  • 25 x '25 Campaign
    

COMMUNITY RELATIONS

• • Center for Mediation, Peace and the Resolution of Conflict (CEMPROC), President, International Board of Directors
  • Georgia Land Trust Service Center and Wetlands and Streams Trust Fund, Board of Directors
  • High Meadows School, Parent Chair, Environmental Studies and Multipurpose Building Committee
  • Rivers Alive, Advisory Board of Directors
  • St. David's Episcopal Church, Green Guild
    

Prior Employment

• Epstein, Becker & Green, PC, Attorney, Environmental Practice Group, 2004 – 2006.
• Alston & Bird LLP, Attorney, Environmental & Land Use Group, 1999 – 2004.
• Georgia Environmental Policy Institute, Law Clerk, 1998 – 1999.
• U.S. Department of Justice, Law Clerk, Environment & Natural Resource Division, Environmental Enforcement Section, 1998.
• Self, Mullins, Robinson, Marchetti & Kamensky, PC, Summer Associate, 1997.
• The University of Georgia Key Largo Marine Research Lab. Research Assistant, 1996 – 1997.

NEWS

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Speaking Engagements