Background
Experience in both industry and advocacy sides of environmental law. Focused on how real-world environmental risk impacts business outcomes. Unique practice combining environmental enforcement, defense and transactions.
Michelle DeVoe is a trusted natural resources attorney with a multifaceted practice combining transactional, litigation, manufacturing and industrial, energy and oil and gas regulatory compliance to advise clients on environmentally sensitive transactions.
She supports real estate and development transactions involving contaminated properties. Michelle has significant experience guiding clients through voluntary cleanup programs and long-term remediation projects for historically contaminated sites, including former manufactured gas plants, mining facilities and military installations.
For compliance matters, Michelle regularly counsels energy companies, developers, ski and resort companies, municipalities, manufacturers and water providers on environmental liability, permitting and risk management issues. Her experience also includes advising on oil and gas rulemakings and enforcement matters, defending mining and milling operations under state reclamation laws, and managing toxic tort and state enforcement actions.
In the courtroom, she represents clients in high-stakes Clean Water Act, CERCLA, Endangered Species Act and NEPA matters with regional and national impact. She also has experience in complex oil and gas, mining and environmental compliance proceedings before state and federal agencies.
Representative Matters
- Counsel for real estate development company in cleanup of a former military institution, including working with the State of Colorado to gain approval of the cleanup plan and secure a no further action letter.
- Acting in-house counsel for national environmentally conscious real estate and development company in the acquisition, remediation, and redevelopment of underperforming and impaired sites.
- Represented the developer of a high-profile Brownfields redevelopment cleanup near Central Park (formerly Stapleton) neighborhood in Denver, Colorado.
- Environmental transactional and compliance counsel for a national private equity group that owns and operates light industrial and commercial properties across the country.
- Cost recovery litigation under CERCLA involving recovery of costs incurred to remediate munitions contamination against the United States armed forces.
- Negotiation and advice on the development and implementation of voluntary cleanup plans, funding agreements, and other details for a municipality as the current owner of a former manufactured gas plant site and of a historic former fluorspar processing facility.
News
News
Credentials
EDUCATION
1995, J.D., Emory University School of Law
1992, BBA, University of Kentucky
ADMISSIONS
Colorado
Georgia
Community Involvement
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Board Member, City Year Denver
Board Chair, Career Service Board, City of Denver
Board Member, Judicial Nomination Committee, Denver Courts
Member, CREW Denver
Environmental Section Counsel, Colorado Bar Association (2025-present)
Real Estate Section Counsel, Colorado Bar Association (2022-2025)
Recognition
RECOGNITION
5280 Top Lawyers, 2026
Best Lawyers in America, 2025 and 2026
