Today, Pillsbury announced that Michael McDonough has joined the firm as a partner in the Los Angeles office. McDonough comes to Pillsbury from Bingham McCutchen, where he was a partner in the firm’s environmental law practice.
As an air quality lawyer, McDonough has practiced before both the South Coast Air Quality Management District and the EPA in regulatory and enforcement matters. Specifically, he represents clients in environmental compliance, transactional due diligence, internal audits and pre-enforcement reviews – primarily in the traditional areas of air quality and recently in the growing area of climate change regulation.
“Mike brings significant depth to our air quality practice in California and further adds to our capabilities in Southern California where we are focused on growth,” said James Rishwain, Jr., Pillsbury’s Chair. “We expect Mike to step in immediately to help us on existing matters and continue to grow our client base in the region, particularly among the energy and chemical industries.”
Mark Farley, head of Pillsbury’s Environment, Land Use & Natural Resources Practice, said McDonough comes to Pillsbury at a time of “unprecedented” regulatory scrutiny of all industries. “Mike has the experience, enthusiasm and talent we need to even better serve our clients as they confront a rapidly changing environmental and safety landscape,” Farley said.
“I am excited to join Pillsbury, which has long had a marquee environment, land use and natural resources practice,” McDonough said. “I am also very impressed with the many people I have met here and look forward to working with them and others here at Pillsbury.”
McDonough earned his law degree, magna cum laude, from Pepperdine University School of Law in 1997 and his undergraduate degree in Public Policy and Psychology from Stanford University in 1993. He began his legal career in 1998 and became a partner at Bingham McCutchen in 2009. McDonough is an active member of the American Bar Association and the Los Angeles County Bar Association.
