The Harrisburg office of the law firm K&L Gates LLP Tuesday announced David Raphael will be joining the firm as a partner in its environment, land and natural resources practice. Raphael joins K&L Gates from the Department of Environmental Protection, where he served as Chief Counsel since 2011.

Richard Morrison has been named Acting Chief Counsel.  Morrison has served as Executive Deputy Chief Counsel since May 2012.

In addition to providing legal counsel to the Secretary and executive staff of the DEP, Raphael oversaw a statewide team of 70 lawyers who represented the department on a variety of environmental compliance, litigation, and transactional matters.

With nearly two decades of experience as an environmental lawyer in both the public and private sectors, he has represented clients in environmental litigation matters before the Environmental Hearing Board, various state and federal courts, and administrative boards.

Raphael also has served as environmental counsel on complex transactions, and advised on a wide range of environmental compliance issues. Previously, he served as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and as a Deputy Attorney General with the Environmental Crimes Section of the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General.

“The environmental practice has been a mainstay of our firm’s Harrisburg office for more than 25 years,” said Carleton O. Strouss, Administrative Partner of K&L Gates’ Harrisburg office. “More recently, it has enabled us to serve our clients in the shale gas industry. Dave’s experience will enhance our ability to serve our energy clients here and in other locations around the globe where similar shale gas reserves are being developed.”

Richard Morrison

Richard Morrison previously served as Assistant Director of DEP's Bureau of Regulatory Counsel. He joined DEP in January 2005 and has served as program counsel for the Department's mining program, for the Bureau of Radiation Protection and the Bureau of Waste Management.

Prior to joining DEP, Mr. Morrison was in private practice in the New Jersey office of Ballard, Spahr, Andrews and Ingersoll where he practiced environmental litigation and franchise law. From 2001-04, he was an assistant counsel to the Pennsylvania Environmental Hearing Board. He is a 1994 honors graduate of Rutgers School of Law, Camden.

9/16/2013