Mary Jane Rhoades

Mary Jane concentrates her practice in the area of environmental law. She represents developers, buyers, and sellers in property transactions involving contaminated real estate and in business acquisitions and divestitures involving environmental liabilities.

She has significant experience with the unique environmental due diligence process in Michigan and the liability protections and obligations it creates; cleaning up contaminated sites utilizing the land use and risk-based approaches under Michigan law; state and federal regulatory and permitting matters; lender environmental liability issues; and the general “Brownfield redevelopment process,” both on behalf of the private and public sectors.

She is experienced in negotiating and drafting transactional documents, including environmental provisions for purchase agreements, leases and other business documents, and negotiating disputes, formally and informally, with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.

She is also a frequent speaker on environmental law topics. Mary Jane graduated magna cum laude from Hope College in 1985 and received her law degree with honors from Valparaiso University School of Law in 1988. She is a member of the Grand Rapids Bar Association; and the Environmental Law, General Practice, and Real Property Law Sections of the State Bar of Michigan.

She is the past Secretary, Vice Chairperson, and Chairperson of the Environmental Law Section of the Grand Rapids Bar Association. She is an affiliate member of the Commercial Alliance of Realtors ("CAR") and a member of the Environmental Affairs Committee of the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce.

Email
Direct 616.233.5196