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Bart J. Freedman

Bart Freedman’s practice encompasses a broad range of environmental, business, eminent domain, and American Indian Law litigation in federal and state courts, as well as alternative dispute resolution.

In the area of environmental law, his experience includes Endangered Species Act, natural resource damages, hazardous waste matters, cost-recovery litigation under CERCLA, criminal defense of Clean Water Act enforcement, civil tort claims and regulatory matters. Bart currently represents King County in the acquisition of property for the Brightwater Treatment System which includes a large plant site, conveyance system, and outfall. He has represented the Port of Seattle on a number of issues, including the impact of treaty fishing rights on the issuance of federal Section 404 permits for a major dock expansion project. His environmental practice also includes natural resource damage litigation brought about by the Exxon Valdez oil spill.

  • Law Clerk, Hon. Samuel J. Roberts, Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
  • Selected to the Washington Super Lawyers list (2009, 2011–2018) 
  • Listed in Best Lawyers in America since 2010, Seattle, Native American Law
  • Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Rating
  • Who’s Who in American Law
  • Who’s Who in America
  • AVVO – Rated Superb
  • Washington Appleseed – Board of Directors, 2007-present
  • Bainbridge Island Parks District – Parks Acquisition Committee, 2008-present
  • Leadership Tomorrow – Board of Directors, 2003-08
  • YMCA – Past-Chair, Seattle Metrocenter YMCA Board of Management
  • "Effective and Creative Solutions to Resolving Disputes in Indian Country, American Bar Association, April 16-18, 2015
  • “Issues on Condemnation” CLE, The Seminar Group (2011)
  • “Valuing Publicly Owned Property”, CLE, The Seminar Group (2010)
  • “The Culverts Litigation”, Hydropower CLEs, (2008 – 2009) The Seminar Group
  • “Tips and Processes for Interacting with Tribes,” Washington Public Ports Association, 2006
  • “Hazardous Waste Issues,” Real Estate Litigation Issues CLE, Seattle, Washington, Oct. 7–8, 1999
  • “Natural Resource Damages,” Hanford Natural Resource Trustee Meeting, Kennewick, Washington, June 28, 1994
  • “Litigating Natural Resource Damages and Their Relationship to Other Environmental Claims,” Effective Environmental Litigation, Seattle, Washington, Mar. 25, 1994
  • Co-Chair, Northwest Conference on Natural Resource Damages, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, Feb. 28, 1994
  • “An Integrated Approach to Sediment and Natural Resource Damage Liability,” Contaminated Sediment Management in the Great Lakes, Chicago, Illinois, Feb. 25, 1994
  • “When PRP’s Perform Cleanup and Seek Remediation,” Hazardous Waste Cleanup Litigation, Seattle, Washington, Aug., 1993
  • “Challenging Agency Cleanup Decisions,” Hazardous Waste Cleanup Litigation, Seattle, Washington, Aug. 27, 1992
  • “Natural Resource Damages and the Law,” Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Seattle, Washington, July, 1992 
  •  “Problems in Assessment,” Bart Freedman, Eighth Annual Hazardous Waste Law and Management Conference, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, Dec. 10, 1991
Additional Thought Leadership Pages
  • Minn. Mine Denial Stresses Importance Of Tribal Partnerships,” Law360, 14 July 2023
  • Recent Rulings Affirm Tribal Sovereign Immunity And Joinder,” Law360, 30 March 2023
  • “Permitting for Energy Projects on Washington’s Coast,” NWLawyer, July/August 2017
  • Go Fish,” Best Lawyers, 2016
  • Culvert Operations,” Cityvision Magazine, p. 25-26, September/October 2016
  • Considering The Difference: Treaty Rights And NEPA Review,” Law360, 29 August 2016
  • Contributor, Washington Environmental Law Handbook, 3rd Edition, Rockville, MD; Government Institutes, ©1997, ISBN: 0-86587-556-1
  • “Natural Resource Damages,” Bart J. Freedman and J. Alan Clark, Hazardous Waste Strategies Update, v. 5, No. 3, Mar., 1994
  • “Natural Resource Damages for Contaminated Sediments in the Great Lakes: A Call for an Integrated Management Approach,” Bart J. Freedman, J. Alan Clark and Roger D. Wynne, Contaminated Sediment Management in the Great Lakes, Feb. 25, 1994
  • “Natural Resource Damages Pose Liability Questions for Ports,” Bart J. Freedman and Cestjon L. McFarland, Marine Digest and Transportation News, Oct., 1993
  • Co-Editor, Natural Resource Damages, Editors Cestjon L. McFarland, Bart J. Freedman. Rockville, MD : Government Institutes, ©1993. ISBN: 0-86587-340-2
Additional News & Event Pages
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