William T. Gorton III

Practice Areas

Regulatory Counseling, Permitting and Compliance

Environmental Transactions & Due Diligence

Environmental Litigation

Environmental Surety Law

Environmental, Natural Resources, & Energy

Health Care - Environmental

Manufacturing

Natural Resources & Energy

Sustainability & Emerging Technology

Renewable Energy Development

Career

Bill Gorton is Chair of the Environmental, Natural Resources & Energy Service Group for the firm. He is national counsel to numerous clients on environmental regulatory and land and water resources matters. Bill has represented clients in the waste management sector including acquisitions, due diligence, compliance and contracting. He has been counsel in the development of numerous independent gas, solar and waste-coal power plants. He has been Lead Counsel to numerous surety companies regarding over $4 billion in financial guarantees on bankrupt and/or defaulting mining operations, hazardous waste facilities and solid waste disposal facilities throughout the United States. He has been primary environmental counsel in the development of interstate pipeline associated with major natural gas resource development. He also counsels on large natural resource and energy, waste industry, business or corporate transactions, and project development assessing and addressing environmental regulatory issues and accomplishing clients' goals. He advises healthcare clients in permitting, acquisitions and environmental compliance matters. Bill is also an Adjunct Professor of Environmental Law at the University of Kentucky's Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation program.

Before embarking on a law career, Mr. Gorton managed many projects as an environmental consultant on projects throughout the U.S.

Professional Memberships

American Bar Association

Kentucky Bar Association

Pennsylvania Bar Association

Energy and Mineral Law Foundation

Assistant Professor, Environmental Law and Regulation-University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Science program

Publications

"Significant Merchant Electric Legislative Amendments Head to Governor's Desk," Stites & Harbison Client Alert, March 24, 2023

"Chapter 7: Reclamation Bonds," co-author with Robert L. Scanlon and Laura M. Murphy, The Law of Commercial Surety and Miscellaneous Bonds, Third Edition, ABA Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section, 2022

"Four Important Environmental Law Changes Since You've Been Home," with Jennifer J. Cave, W. Blaine Early III, Robert C. Moore, Mary Lucille Noah, and W. Patrick Stallard, Stites & Harbison Client Alert, May 5, 2020

"Coming Soon: Revised and (Mostly) Relaxed Hazardous Waste Pharmaceutical Regs!," Stites & Harbison Client Alert, July 2, 2019

"'Waters of the United States' What Next? Proposed 2019 Trump Administration WOTUS Rule," Stites & Harbison Client Alert, March 7, 2019

"'Waters of the United States' What Next? Proposed Trump Administration WOTUS Rule....2019 Addendum," Kentucky Wetlands Law and Compliance, presented by HalfMoon Seminars, Lexington, KY, March 6, 2019

"'Waters of the United States Forecast: Continued Cloudiness, No End in Sight," Stites & Harbison Client Alert, March 19, 2018

Personal

University of Kentucky College of Law, J.D., with distinction and Order of the Coif, 1988

Pennsylvania State University, B.S., Man-Environment Relations, emphasis in Natural Systems, 1976

Expert in these Jurisdictions

Kentucky

Pennsylvania

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania