Katherine
Ghilain Trudell
Principal
Katherine
Ghilain Trudell
Principal
Katie’s practice focuses on environmental review and permitting, environmental litigation, renewable energy development, and regulatory compliance counseling. She guides public entities and private clients through environmental review and permitting processes for waterfront developments and other complex projects. She works to minimize litigation risk and defends against challenges that arise under federal and state laws, including under the National Environmental Policy Act and the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act. Katie’s renewable energy work is focused on offshore wind; she advised NYSERDA on the development of the New York State Offshore Wind Master Plan and on several other offshore wind initiatives, and she is representing Equinor Wind US in the permitting and development of its Empire Wind 1 and Empire Wind 2 projects. She also advises on the permitting and development of the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal as a staging facility and operations and maintenance base for the offshore wind industry.
Katie maintains an active pro bono practice focused on the international natural resources trade, biodiversity, and resiliency. In addition to representing environmental organizations that address these issues, Katie submitted statements for the record in two congressional hearings regarding the Lacey Act, the United States’ oldest wildlife conservation law. She also helped develop and present training workshops in Africa to improve the implementation and enforcement of wildlife trafficking and poaching laws.
Prior to joining SPR in 2015, Katie worked in the environmental and general litigation groups of an international law firm, where her practice focused on environmental litigation, regulatory compliance, and complex product liability litigation. During law school, Katie participated in the Natural Resources Defense Council clinical program, was a Notes Editor of the New York University Environmental Law Journal, and was Co-Chair of the Environmental Law Society. Katie earned her B.A. in Environmental Studies from Vassar College, graduating with general and departmental honors.
NYSERDA – Offshore Wind
Equinor Wind – Empire Wind Offshore Wind Projects
NYSERDA – Western New York Nuclear Service Center at West Valley
American Museum of Natural History
Lenox Hill Hospital
Hudson River Park
From its inception, SPR has served as environmental and litigation counsel to the Hudson River Park Trust on major proposed projects in Hudson River Park, most recently Little Island, Pier 57, and Gansevoort Peninsula. Little Island is a distinctive pier offering world-class recreation and performing arts events, with the support of a donation from the Diller/von Furstenberg Family Foundation – the largest gift to a public park in the history of New York State. Little Island was the subject of litigation in state and federal court for over two years, during which SPR successfully overcame a challenge to the Trust’s environmental review and a challenge to the permit issued by the DEC (as co-counsel with the State).
SPR also helped the Trust obtain new permits after the donor terminated and then restarted the Project. Pier 57 was transformed from its original maritime use to an indoor/outdoor public space and food hall. SPR advised the Trust with respect to the preparation of an environmental impact statement for Pier 57 as well as obtaining environmental permits. The Gansevoort Peninsula is a public beach and passive recreation space that replaces a former sanitation facility. SPR advised on environmental permitting and represented the Trust in litigation challenging the Gansevoort Peninsula project.
“Climate Change and the Biden Energy Agenda”
For: Practicing Law Institute, Environmental Regulation in Practice 2021: New Challenges and Priorities
“U.S. Offshore Wind Permitting and Development: The Answer is Blowin’ in the Wind”
For: Quimbee
“Federal Permitting Challenges Facing the Development of Offshore Wind”
For: US, Business Network for Offshore Wind International Partnering Forum (with Kim Fitzgibbons, Justin Krebs, Michelle Morin, Amanda Evans, and Ravi Laljani)
“What Your Phase I Won’t Tell You About Developing a Waterfront Site in New York City”
For: Environmental Law in New York Vol. 31, No. 79
“Environmental Law: Developments in the Law of SEQRA”
For: 68 Syracuse Law Review 837; Co-Author(s): Mark A. Chertok, Katherine Ghilain Trudell
“Environmental Law: Developments in the Law of SEQRA”
For: 67 Syracuse Law Review 897
“Environmental Law: Developments in the Law of SEQRA”
For: 66 Syracuse Law Review 905
“Recent Pa. Fracking Charges May Set a New Trend”
For: Environmental Law 360, Energy Law 360 and Pennsylvania Law 360;
“The 2008 Lacey Act Amendments and the Fight Against Illegal Logging”
For: Bloomberg BNA’s International Trade Reporter
“TSCA, FIFRA, and Perhaps EPCRA Likely to Play Featured Roles in the Piecemeal Development of Federal Fracking Regulation, 14 Chemical Regulation, and Right-to-Know”
For: Committee Newsletter, Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources, American Bar Association;
“The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and Overseas Environmental Crimes: Analyzing the Intersection of Two Risk Areas”
For: Bloomberg BNA
“With Gibson Settlement, ‘Due Care’ is Slightly More Clear”
For: Hardwood Floors
“Gibson Guitar, Forfeiture, and the Lacey Act Strike a Dissonant Chord”
For: Bloomberg BNA Daily Environmental Report, Daily Report for Executives, White Collar Crime, Report, and International Environment Reporter; Co-Author(s):
“Improving Community Character Analysis in the SEQRA Environmental Impact Review Process: A Cultural Landscape Approach to Defining the Elusive “Community Character”
For: 17 New York University Environmental Law Journal 1194
Equinor Becomes Leading U.S. Offshore Wind Developer with 2,500 Megawatt Award from New York State
Meet Katie Ghilain, Who Was Recently Promoted From Associate to Principal at SPR
Appellate Division Affirms Dismissal of Challenge to the American Museum of Natural History’s Gilder Center Project
SPR Solidifies Its Position at the Forefront of Efforts to Bring Offshore Wind Energy to New York State
NY Supreme Court Dismisses ULURP/SEQR Challenge to American Museum of Natural History’s Gilder Center Project
New York Moves Closer to Offshore Wind Energy Procurement
New York University School of Law, J.D., 2009
Vassar College, B.A., 2006, General and departmental honors
New York, 2009
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
American Bar Association, Member
Bar Association of the City of New York, Member
New York City Environmental Law and Leadership Institute, Graduate