People
Patricia Barmeyer specializes in the environmental permitting of controversial projects and the litigation that is often part of the process of bringing those projects to completion. Patricia has handled matters in all environmental media, but her recent work has focused on cases involving water and air permits and coastal development projects. Patricia has been ranked by Chambers USA Leading Lawyers for Business as the top environmental lawyer in Georgia since 2006.
Patricia combines a depth of environmental law expertise with substantial courtroom prowess, representing clients in many types of environmental matters, from rule making, to permitting, to permit appeals, to compliance issues — always seeking to resolve issues without litigation, but ready to litigate if necessary. She has worked on major infrastructure projects including roads, airports, water supply reservoirs, power plants, docks and pipelines.
Patricia is part of the team of K&S attorneys that represents the Atlanta Regional Commission and the metropolitan Atlanta local governments that supply drinking water to the metro area in the protracted tri-state “water wars” litigation. This multifaceted representation has included litigation in multiple courts, including in the Eleventh Circuit, which upheld the use of Lake Lanier for drinking water purposes. In re MDL Tri-State Water Rights Litigation, 644 F.3d 1160 (11th Cir. 2011).
King & Spalding's environmental practice was recognized by Law 360 as Practice Group of the Year in 2012, 2015 and 2016. Patricia was named Best Lawyers’ Atlanta Environmental Lawyer of the Year in 2010 and again in 2014.
Chambers USA Leading Lawyers for Business 2016 reports that clients describe Patricia as "an excellent litigator" who is "great with the various agencies in an administrative context," and in 2014 quoted a client as saying: “She’s extraordinarily smart and intuitive. She has the gift that only really good lawyers have of imagination.”
Before joining King & Spalding, Patricia was a senior assistant attorney general for the state of Georgia where she litigated landmark environmental cases.
J.D., Harvard University, cum laude
B.A., Hollins University
Georgia
Supreme Court of the United States
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia
American Bar Association (Member, Section on Natural Resources, Energy and Environmental Law)
Atlanta Bar Association
Best Lawyers In America
Fellow, American Bar Foundation
State Bar of Georgia
August 16, 2019
The Best Lawyers in America Recognizes 115 King & Spalding Lawyers in its 2020 Guide
April 26, 2019
King & Spalding Earns Top Rankings in Chambers USA 2019 Guide
October 26, 2018
Metro Atlanta Chamber Recognizes Patricia Barmeyer for Visionary Leadership on Environmental Sustainability
Represented Rayonier Performance Fibers, LLC, in securing renewal of the NPDES discharge permit for its Jesup pulp mill, the world's largest producer of cellulose specialty products. The permit had been reversed by the administrative law judge, who imposed a novel and unreasonable construction of the narrative water quality standard. That erroneous decision, which threatened the permitting program for all industrial and municipal dischargers in Georgia, was reversed by the Superior Court in March, 2017, which resulted in affirmance of the renewed permit.
Represented Sea Island Company in securing, and successfully defending to an Administrative Law Judge and then to Superior Court, the state Shore Protection Act permit for a controversial beach nourishment, dune construction and groin project for its beach.
Successfully defended Rayonier Performance Fibers, LLC, and Rayonier, Inc. in a citizens suit alleging that the world's largest cellulose specialty products pulp mill was violating its NPDES discharge permit. Altamaha Riverkeeper, Inc. v. Rayonier, Inc., No. CV 214-44, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 42849 (S.D. Ga. Mar. 31, 2015). Summary judgment was granted on all counts and the appeal of that decision was voluntarily dismissed.
See more
May 9, 2019
EPA Rejects Clean Water Act “Conduit Theory”
May 8, 2019
Energy Newsletter – May 2019
April 18, 2019
EPA Rejects Clean Water Act “Conduit Theory”
August 16, 2019
The Best Lawyers in America Recognizes 115 King & Spalding Lawyers in its 2020 Guide
April 26, 2019
King & Spalding Earns Top Rankings in Chambers USA 2019 Guide
October 26, 2018
Metro Atlanta Chamber Recognizes Patricia Barmeyer for Visionary Leadership on Environmental Sustainability
Represented Rayonier Performance Fibers, LLC, in securing renewal of the NPDES discharge permit for its Jesup pulp mill, the world's largest producer of cellulose specialty products. The permit had been reversed by the administrative law judge, who imposed a novel and unreasonable construction of the narrative water quality standard. That erroneous decision, which threatened the permitting program for all industrial and municipal dischargers in Georgia, was reversed by the Superior Court in March, 2017, which resulted in affirmance of the renewed permit.
Represented Sea Island Company in securing, and successfully defending to an Administrative Law Judge and then to Superior Court, the state Shore Protection Act permit for a controversial beach nourishment, dune construction and groin project for its beach.
Successfully defended Rayonier Performance Fibers, LLC, and Rayonier, Inc. in a citizens suit alleging that the world's largest cellulose specialty products pulp mill was violating its NPDES discharge permit. Altamaha Riverkeeper, Inc. v. Rayonier, Inc., No. CV 214-44, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 42849 (S.D. Ga. Mar. 31, 2015). Summary judgment was granted on all counts and the appeal of that decision was voluntarily dismissed.
See more
May 9, 2019
EPA Rejects Clean Water Act “Conduit Theory”
May 8, 2019
Energy Newsletter – May 2019
April 18, 2019
EPA Rejects Clean Water Act “Conduit Theory”
August 16, 2019
The Best Lawyers in America Recognizes 115 King & Spalding Lawyers in its 2020 Guide
April 26, 2019
King & Spalding Earns Top Rankings in Chambers USA 2019 Guide
October 26, 2018
Metro Atlanta Chamber Recognizes Patricia Barmeyer for Visionary Leadership on Environmental Sustainability
J.D., Harvard University, cum laude
B.A., Hollins University
Georgia
Supreme Court of the United States
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia
American Bar Association (Member, Section on Natural Resources, Energy and Environmental Law)
Atlanta Bar Association
Best Lawyers In America
Fellow, American Bar Foundation
State Bar of Georgia