CHARLESTON – The Charleston office of Dinsmore & Shohl has welcomed partner John S. Gray home to The Mountain State.
A native West Virginian, Gray practiced for more than two decades in Texas advising on environmental issues within the oil and gas, petrochemical, construction and real estate industries.
Gray brings a wealth of experience gained first from his career in mining engineering and then as an attorney. Prior to joining Dinsmore, Gray practiced at Liskow & Lewis, PLC and Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP in Houston advising on compliance issues and regulatory requirements. Gray worked as a licensed professional engineer on mine permitting after receiving his mining engineering degree from West Virginia University in Morgantown.
“West Virginia is on the verge of a renaissance and poised for growth," Gray said. "I realized I can leverage my background in environmental law related to energy, real estate and construction to complement what’s happening in my home state.
“When I reviewed the options in West Virginia, Dinsmore was the clear choice. It has a strong presence in this state as well as a national platform to service my environmental clients.”
Gray joins an established group of natural resources lawyers in Dinsmore’s West Virginia offices. Charleston Office Managing Partner Anna Dailey sees Gray fitting right into the fold.
“John has worked with all the major players in the energy industry in Texas," Dailey said. "Many of those companies have operations throughout the Marcellus Shale region, so he’s familiar with the environmental issues impacting this area.
“John will compliment the deep talent pool we already have in our West Virginia offices. He brings a unique insight into the environmental issues facing our natural resource industries developed from his time spent as a professional engineer and honed in Houston, which is considered one of the Energy Capitals of the world.”
Gray earned his J.D. from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, where he was a member of the SMU Law Review and graduated cum laude. Gray received his M.B.A. from the University of Notre Dame and his Bachelor of Science in Engineering of Mines from West Virginia University.
Dinsmore & Shohl is comprised of 625 attorneys with locations in 21 cities throughout California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C. and West Virginia. For more information, visit www.dinsmore.com.
