About Justin Fisch

Justin Fisch’s practice focuses on environmental, land use, energy, and social impact law, with a particular emphasis on natural resources, renewable energy, and climate change law and policy. He is an associate in Morrison & Foerster’s Environmental and Social Enterprise + Impact Investing Practice Groups in the San Francisco office.

Justin has counseled clients on regulatory, litigation, and corporate matters involving site cleanup, investigations, emissions, brownfield development, carbon offsets, and clean energy deployment. He has particular experience advising on permitting, regulatory compliance, and risk under the California Water Quality Control Act (Porter-Cologne); the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA/Superfund); the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA); the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA); the Clean Water Act (CWA); and the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Justin has experience in a variety of industries, including energy, transportation, retail, recycling, automotive, water, railroad, and conservation.

Justin helps clients navigate complex regulatory requirements and represents them in litigation arising from water quality issues. He counsels clients on U.S. state and federal emissions control requirements, advises recyclers on legal and policy structures in their industry, assists corporations in implementing renewable energy and building efficiency goals, and helps startups implementing last-mile transportation solutions within local political systems. He has significant experience negotiating and drafting corporate governance and project‑related contracts. Justin leads environmental, natural resource, and land use due diligence to support of a variety of transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, financing transactions, and joint ventures, and negotiates the environmental provisions of those agreements. Justin has experience incorporating and advising social impact enterprises as public benefit corporations and regularly counsels nonprofit and social purpose organizations on governance structures.

Justin earned degrees in both common law and civil law from McGill University’s Faculty of Law. During law school, he served as Editor-in-Chief of the McGill International Journal of Sustainable Development Law & Policy (MJSDL) and as national Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Youth Ambassador to Parks Canada. Prior to joining the firm, he served as a judicial clerk at the International Court of Justice in the Netherlands. He previously served as term professor at the University of Ottawa, teaching introduction to environmental law. Justin received his Bachelor of Arts magna cum laude in Political Science, Geography, and Sustainability Studies from the University of Florida. Prior to law school, he worked for the National Geographic Society. Justin is a professional guide and a frequent lecturer in international law of the Arctic, polar politics, and environmental law. His pro bono interests lie in conservation and protected area establishment.

Justin is fluent in French, Spanish, and Portuguese. He is admitted to practice in California, New York, and Ontario.