Sheri Jacobs

Of Counsel

Sheri Jacobs is a proven and trusted advocate, advisor, and trial and appellate attorney, focused on resolving complex environmental law disputes. As an experienced regulatory lawyer, Sheri offers her clients practical business-centric advice so they can concentrate on their businesses. She focuses her practice on environmental law, complex environmental litigation, regulatory compliance, and local land use and permitting issues. Sheri regularly handles all types of environmental law matters, permitting, zoning, land use, and administrative law matters, representing clients before various administrative boards at the state, federal, and local levels. When litigation becomes necessary, her depth of experience and tactical legal acumen ensure the clients’ interests are always well represented. 

Sheri has helped companies, nonprofit organization, individuals, local governments, and quasi-governmental entities win victories and negotiate favorable settlements in complex environmental matters and other types of regulatory matters. Her environmental experience includes issues associated with sustainability, water pollution, solid and hazardous waste, Brownfield redevelopment projects, environmental citizen suits, permitting, licensing, Superfund and RCRA remediation projects, endangered species, stream mitigation projects, air pollution control, and other types of regulatory administrative law concerns.

Sheri and her husband, David, have two children. She enjoys traveling, hiking, snow skiing, and visiting national parks with her family. 

Education & Credentials

Education

University of Georgia

B.A.

University of Missouri School of Law

J.D.

Bar Admission

  • Michigan
  • Missouri
  • Tennessee

Acknowledgements

  • AV Preeminent Rating, Martindale-Hubbell
  • Best Lawyers in America, Environmental Law, 2016-2024
  • BusinessTN Magazine, 150 Best Lawyers
  • Nashville Business Journal, Best of the Bar
  • Mid-South Super Lawyers, 2009-2023
    • Environmental Law, 2023

Prominent Assignments

Regulatory

  • Successfully represented businesses and individuals appealing enforcement orders issued by the federal and state governments. 
  • Successfully challenged state and local government actions as exceeding their delegated authority.
  • Successfully challenged state wetland determination.
  • Successful prosecution of local government’s failure to comply with mandatory public notice requirements and open meetings laws.
  • Represented individuals whose due process rights were violated by a state agency.
  • Represented individuals who recovered attorney’s fees from a state agency that failed to comply with jurisdictional notice requirements.

Environmental

  • Represents one of the largest North American companies with environmental compliance, permitting, emergency response, and environmental litigation matters.
  • Successfully defended numerous federal Clean Water Act citizen suits.
  • Successfully represented a not-for-profit organization in challenging a local government’s failure to comply with federal and state environmental laws and due public notice requirements.
  • Regularly represents businesses before state environmental boards and in state and federal court.
  • Successfully represents landfill owners and operators on compliance issues and litigation matters.
  • Successfully represented a landfill operator before the U.S. Supreme Court.
  • Lead Counsel on numerous complex Brownfield Redevelopment Projects.

Professional Involvement

  • Nashville Bar Association: Environmental Law Committee, Past Chair
  • Tennessee Bar Association: Environmental Law Section, Past Chair
  • Lawyers’ Association for Women
  • Missouri Bar Association
  • American Bar Association

Court Admissions

  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan
  • U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee
  • 6th Circuit Court of Appeals
  • Tennessee Supreme Court

Publications/Presentations

  • Speaker, "P-Fast & Furious!!! Rapid Developments in Regulations Involving Per- and Polyfuoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and a Case Study on a Proven Adsorption Technology," Sustainability & Environmental Health & Safety Symposium, Business & Industry, March 2024
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