Partner
Lawson Fite is a partner with Marten Law, LLP and the co-chair of Marten Law’s Natural Resources practice. For over 15 years, Lawson has successfully represented clients in energy, agriculture, forestry, and shipping, in both regulatory and litigation matters. He leads Marten Law’s forestry practice, serving forest landowners, manufacturers and other stakeholders.
Lawson draws on a wealth of experience to address clients’ practical, bottom-line business needs. Lawson has worked in private practice and for several years directed the work of a forestry trade association in more than 50 cases in federal and state trial and appellate courts, including the United States Supreme Court. He has testified before Congress regarding proposed reforms to resource management, the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Lawson works with industry stakeholders across North America to improve the federal, state, and local regulatory environment. He has served as the voice of natural resource users before the United States Supreme Court in the recent cases of Fish & Wildlife Service v. Sierra Club and Forest Service v. Cowpasture River Preservation Association, where he was the lead author of coalition amicus briefs before the Court.
Lawson began his career at the US Department of Justice with a focus on endangered species and wildlife issues. Lawson received a Special Achievement Award in 2009 from US Attorney General Eric H. Holder. He also represented the US Coast Guard in litigation relating to the response to the Deepwater Horizon spill. Lawson served as a law clerk for Justice Walter L. Carpeneti of the Alaska Supreme Court. He earned a J.D. degree and an A.B. (cum laude) in environmental science and public policy from Harvard University.