Seth D Jaffe

Practice Areas

Seth Jaffe is a leading practitioner in environmental compliance and related litigation. He works on a wide range of environmental law issues, representing clients in the permitting/licensing of new facilities and offering ongoing guidance on permitting and enforcement related matters under federal and state laws, with a focus on the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act. Seth also advises on wetlands and waterways regulation. His clients include electric generating facilities, companies in the pharmaceutical, printing and chemical industries, and education and health care institutions.

Seth has extensive experience in hazardous waste matters under federal and state Superfund laws. He has defended multiple clients in administrative or litigation proceedings brought by the government and/or private parties. He has also counseled plaintiffs seeking recovery from private parties of response costs incurred at Superfund sites. He has significant experience in the redevelopment of brownfield sites. Since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, Seth has advised numerous renewable energy developers regarding the availability of tax credits for projects located at brownfield sites.

Seth also helps clients permit large development projects, including assistance with environmental reviews under NEPA and related state laws.

Consistently recognized by Chambers USA, The Best Lawyers in America and Massachusetts Super Lawyers, Seth is one of the authors of the Law and the Environment Blog, www.lawandenvironment.com, which provides real-world perspectives on current developments in environmental law and regulation. He is a past President of the American College of Environmental Lawyers.

Before joining Foley Hoag, he clerked for United States District Judge Walter Jay Skinner.

Education: Yale Law School, JD; Harvard University, MPP; Massachusetts Institute of Technology, SB