Matthew A. Love

Matthew Love's practice focuses on solving difficult public policy natural resource problems.  He navigates clients through the often-conflicting requirements associated with federal and state natural resource law including endangered species, fisheries, clean water, hydroelectric, and Native American Law.

Currently, Mr. Love is involved in several major hydroelectric license proceedings before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). He provides the City of Tacoma with relicensing, litigation, and compliance counsel for the 131 MW Cushman Project.  In that capacity, he has led the City’s settlement negotiation efforts with the Skokomish Indian Tribe and federal and state agencies.  These negotiations resulted in a comprehensive settlement of one of the longest lasting and controversial relicensing cases at FERC.  Additionally, Mr. Love served as the City’s appellate litigation counsel for the 462 MW Cowlitz River project and successfully defended the Cowlitz Project relicensing settlement agreement before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Mr. Love also provides relicensing, litigation and compliance counsel for PacifiCorp.  Recently, Mr. Love represented PacifiCorp in an EPAct trial-type hearing for the Klamath Project.  Additionally, Mr. Love recently negotiated a settlement agreement between PacifiCorp and a non-governmental organization, resolving an Endangered Species Act issue related to project operations.

Mr. Love’s work also involves the representation of Snohomish County Public Utility District (Snohomish) in its relicensing of the 121 MW Jackson Project in Washington State, one of the first relicensings to use FERC’s ILP.  As part of this representation, Mr. Love represents Snohomish on Clean Water Act Section 401 certification issues.

Additionally, Mr. Love has extensive experience representing clients on complex natural resource matters that involve federal licensed hydroelectric project, including projects on the Columbia River and Missouri River. 

Professional Background

During Matt’s tenure as an Assistant Attorney General, he represented the State of Washington and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife in natural resource litigation and other matters involving the ESA, fisheries, water, and Indian law issues.

While serving as a Trial Attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice, Matt defended federal agencies in litigation involving the ESA, the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Administrative Procedures Act, and NEPA.

Matt served as a Fulbright Scholar in Ghana, West Africa during the 2005-2006 academic year.  As a Fulbright, he taught courses in environmental, natural resource, and public international law at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, Ghana.

Government Service

Fulbright Scholar, Lecturer and Researcher:  Natural Resource Law, Ghana, West Africa, 2005-2006

Assistant Attorney General, Fish Wildlife & Parks Division, Washington State Attorney General's Office, 1995-1999, 2001-2003

Trial Attorney, Wildlife & Marine Resources Section, U.S. Department of Justice, 1999-2001

Fisheries/Integrated Agricultural Extension Agent, U.S. Peace Corps, 1988-1990

Professional and Civic Affiliations

• General Counsel, Northwest Hydroelectric Association, 2010-2013
• Editorial Board, Washington State Bar Environmental and Land Use Section, 2011

Honors & Distinctions

• Best Lawyers in America; Energy Law, Environmental Law, Native American Law, Natural Resources Law; 2012

Speaking Engagements

• NWHA 2012 Annual Conference: Hydropower: Clean, Green, Reliable, February 21, 2012
• KCBA Environmental & Land Use Section's January Brown Bag CLE: 2011 Environmental Law Update and What to Expect in 2012, January 25, 2012
• National Hydropower Association Alaska Regional Meeting, August 30, 2011
• NWHA Hydropower: Generating a Clean Future, February 22, 2011
• The Seminar Group: Hydropower in Montana, November 19, 2010
• Hydropower in the Northwest, November 4, 2010

News

• For 7th Consecutive Year, Van Ness Feldman Professionals Are Among "The Best Lawyers in America"