Jeanette C Schuster

Practice Areas

Business Law

Administrative & Regulatory Law

Environmental & Natural Resources

Career

Jeanette is a highly organized and practical solutions-driven attorney with extensive commercial, transactional, and regulatory experience. Jeanette’s experience includes drafting, analyzing, and negotiating a broad range of commercial contracts, including professional service agreements, transportation agreements, settlement agreements, and non-disclosure agreements, as well as negotiating agreements with federal and state government agencies. She regularly conducts due diligence for commercial and real estate transactions.

Jeanette is Chair of the firm’s Environmental & Natural Resources Practice Group. As part of that team, she advises clients on compliance with complex regulatory requirements under federal, state, and local environmental statutes and regulations — with an emphasis on the Clean Water Act, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) — in the context of buying and selling contaminated property, regulatory agency enforcement defense, and contaminated site investigation and cleanup (including the Portland Harbor Superfund Site).

Jeanette began her career as a Research Assistant at Portland’s VA Medical Center and R.W. Franz Cancer Research Center. During law school, Jeanette served as the associate editor of Lewis & Clark Law School’s Environmental Law Journal.

Professional Memberships

American Bar Association

Multnomah Bar Association

Expert in these Jurisdictions

Oregon State Bar

U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon

Awards

Education

Languages Spoken

English

German

Work Highlights

Tonkon Torp Helps Friends of the Children Actuate $33 Million Real Estate Gift

Tonkon Torp is proud to help Friends of the Children unwrap its transformative $33 million gift from philanthropists Gary and Christine Rood. The Roods, based in Vancouver, WA, presented Friends of the Children with a three-year gift in the form of five debt-free commercial properties that Friends of the Children will resell in phases.

Tonkon Torp Helps Malarkey Roofing Company Construct a Billion-Plus Sale Strategy

Tonkon Torp guided client Herbert Malarkey Roofing Company through a successful $1.35 billion stock sale to Switzerland-based Holcim Group, one of the world’s largest building products companies. The deal secured a place as one of Oregon’s largest M&A transactions in 2021.

Tonkon Torp Secures Regulatory Closure of a Clean-Up Site

Tonkon Torp helped a small Northwest nonprofit organization, Columbia Dance Center, resolve an unexpected environmental problem. Find details and more featured cases here.

Diverse Team Aids Greenbrier in Joint Venture

Tonkon Torp acted as Oregon corporate counsel for its long-term client The Greenbrier Companies, Inc. in finalizing a 50/50 joint venture with Watco Companies, L.L.C. The venture combines the two companies’ railcar repair, refurbishment and maintenance businesses into a new organization, GBW Railcar Services, LLC.

Tonkon Torp Leads Oregon Grocery Chain Out of Bankruptcy

In one of the quickest and most successful conclusions of a grocery chain bankruptcy proceeding, Tonkon Torp secured court approval of a reorganization plan for C&K Market, Inc., to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy just seven months after filing. Find details and more featured cases here.

Agricultural Property Redevelopment

Oversaw the investigation and remediation of arsenic in soil for the conversion of former agricultural property to residential use.

Asbestos Removal

Represented clients on issues related to asbestos removal.

Clean Air Act Defense

Defended forest products client against alleged air quality violations, resulting in withdrawal of the Department of Environmental Quality's enforcement claims.

Clean Air Act Permitting for Renewable Energy Projects

Prepared an analysis of air permitting requirements applicable to the construction of a hybrid gas-wind power generating facility in Oregon.

Clean Water Act Violation Defense

Negotiated settlements with third-party citizen-suit claimants under the Clean Water Act.

Dry Cleaning Operation Cleanup

Obtained a No Further Action determination (full closure) from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality for an owner of property formerly operated as a dry cleaning business, and secured full insurance coverage from historic insurance for the agency's claim. Secured Oregon Dry Cleaner Fund coverage for several dry cleaning operation cleanups.

Due Diligence in Bankruptcy Proceedings

Provided environmental due diligence for the sale of multiple divisions of a manufacturing company out of a bankruptcy proceeding.

Due Diligence in Corporate Transactions

Provided environmental due diligence for the sale of a marine transport company, which involved multiple, multi-state environmental and maritime regulations as well as contaminated properties.

Environmental Audit Oversight

Conducted environmental audits of manufacturing facilities.

Hazardous Waste (RCRA) Violation Defense

Defended a large manufacturing client against multiple hazardous waste violation claims by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, resulting in a reduction of almost $200,000 in assessed violations.

Lacey Act Compliance

Wrote a protocol for and assisted in compliance with a lumber importer's compliance with the Lacey Act, which prohibits the importation of illegally harvested forest products.

Land Use

Represented Gunderson in a series of appeals successfully challenging the City of Portland's North Reach River Plan ordinance as failing to comply with Oregon's statewide land use planning goals and the City's own comprehensive plan. (Land Use Board of Appeals, Oregon Court of Appeals, Oregon Supreme Court)

Lumber Mill Redevelopment

Counseled clients in the decommissioning of old lumber mills in Oregon, Idaho and Montana and preparing them for different land use.

Mining Waste Cleanup

Represented landowners in mining waste cleanups.

Offsetting Civil Penalties Through Supplemental Environmental Projects

Successfully negotiated reductions and settlements of environmental enforcement actions, including offsetting penalties by supplemental environmental projects.

Petroleum Contamination and Vapor Intrusion Remediation

Negotiated with and secured approval of the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) for a corrective action plan for petroleum contamination at an auto dealership. The matter was complicated by the fact that contamination had migrated offsite, and also implicated Idaho DEQ's vapor intrusion regulations.

Portland Harbor Superfund Site (CERCLA)

Ongoing representation of a large manufacturing company in the $100 million Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study for remediation of the Portland Harbor Superfund Site, which has been ongoing for over a decade.

Renewable Project Finance

Assisted global renewable energy developer with due diligence to prepare three renewable projects for the capital markets in advance of pending expiration of applicable federal tax credits.

Stormwater Compliance Counseling

Regularly represent a variety of manufacturing and commercial operations to come into or maintain compliance with state, municipal, and local stormwater regulations.

Transfer of Contaminated Property

Counseled landowners and developers throughout the country on federal and state environmental laws associated with the sale and purchase of contaminated commercial and industrial property.

Underground Injection Control Well Closure

Successfully negotiated with EPA in Alaska for closure of a motor vehicle underground injection control (UIC) well without the need for removal or remedial action.