Rob Devolve uses his knowledge and experience in the areas of environmental, real estate and land use law to assist clients with a wide variety of matters. Rob chairs our Environmental Law practice group and a significant focus of his practice is counseling clients on environmental issues in corporate and real estate transactions, development projects, permitting and compliance. Rob devotes a significant amount of time to helping clients assess and minimize environmental liability in business and regulatory matters, and has handled regulatory matters at the federal, state and local levels. A second major focus of his practice is real estate and land use, including purchases and sales, leasing, brownfields redevelopment, zoning, boundary disputes and complex title clearance. Rob has had significant roles in drafting brownfields-related legislation in Minnesota.

Rob has been a frequent writer and speaker in the areas of environmental and real estate law. He is licensed to practice land surveying in New York and, prior to joining Leonard, Street and Deinard, was a land surveyor and environmental analyst specializing in land use planning and development. The unique combination of being both an attorney and a licensed land surveyor gives Rob uncommon insight into, and exceptional skills in resolving, many title and survey problems. Rob’s prior work experience also included several years with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service. Rob is an MSBA Board Certified Real Property Law Specialist and has been named among The Best Lawyers in America.

Professional and Civic Activities

• Member, Minnesota Brownfields Advisory Committee
• Member, American Bar Association Advisory Panel
• Past contributing editor in environmental law, Minnesota State Bar Association Bench & Bar of Minnesota (1999-2007)
• Past member, Minnesota State Bar Association Environmental, Natural Resources and Energy Section Council
• Member, American Bar Association
• Member, Minnesota State Bar Association
• Member, Hennepin County Bar Association

 Select Publications and Presentations

• Author, "Assessing and Minimizing Environmental Risks in Commercial
  Transactions," in Inside the Minds: Understanding Environmental and Land
  Use Laws, Aspatore Books, 2006
• Author, “Be Aware of Changes to Environmental Liability Laws,” Minnesota Real Estate Journal, September 2006
• Moderator, “Sustainable Remediation of Brownfields in Minnesota,” Minnesota Brownfields, 2009
• Speaker, “Legal Descriptions and Surveys,” Minnesota CLE, 2003-2006
• Speaker, “Water Boundaries in Minnesota,” Minnesota Society of Professional Surveyors (with Hugh Maynard), 2005
• Speaker, “Beyond Zoning: Regulating Land Use Through Environmental Laws,” Lorman Educational Services, 2005
• Speaker, “Conservation Easements,” Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 2004
• Speaker, “Selected Boundary Law Cases,” Minnesota Society of Professional Surveyors (with Hugh Maynard), 2004
• Speaker, “How to Read and Use Surveys,” Hennepin County Bar Association, Real Property Section, 2004
• Speaker, “The Attorney’s Role in Phase II Environmental Investigations,” Ramsey County Bar Association, Real Estate Section, 2003
• Speaker, “Standards of Care and Sources of Liability for Surveyors,” Minnesota Society of Professional Surveyors, 2001

Education

• J.D., magna cum laude, The University of Iowa College of Law, 1996
       Editor in chief, Journal of Corporation Law, 1995–1996
• B.S., magna cum laude, The State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, 1984

Admissions

• State of Massachusetts, 1996
• State of Minnesota, 1997
• State of New York, 1997