Christine L. (Zemina) Hein

Christine L. (Zemina) Hein

Associate

Practice Groups: Environmental/ Natural Resource Law, OSHA/MSHA Law, Water Law and Litigation

888 SW Fifth Avenue, Suite 1250
Portland, OR 97204
Tel: 503.972.9966 | Fax: 503.972.9967
Email: CHein@BatemanSeidel.com
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Christine represents businesses, municipal entities and individuals in regulatory, permitting and litigation matters involving a broad range of environmental, natural resources, tribal, energy, land use, facility development and occupational health and safety issues. Her practice focuses on counseling and representing clients in negotiations with regulatory agencies and in litigation regarding compliance with federal statutes such as CERCLA, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act, NEPA, RCRA, OSHA, MSHA and related state laws. She also advises numerous municipalities on water rights, public works and contracting issues.

Christine and the other members of Bateman Seidel’s Environmental Law and Litigation practice group draw upon a wide range of unique skills, years of experience and expertise by working as a team to effectively serve clients’ needs. This teamwork approach allows the group to provide clients with prompt, high quality, effective and creative advice and solutions to even the most complex legal issues.

Immediately prior to joining Bateman Seidel, Christine practiced environmental and natural resource law and litigation in the Portland office of K&L Gates. Before that, she practiced structured finance law at Seward & Kissel in New York City. Prior to law school, Christine worked as a Development Officer at the Rainforest Foundation in New York and also served as an agriculture extension volunteer in the Peace Corps in Guatemala.

REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS

  • Representing a former ship repair company in negotiations with EPA and other potentially responsible parties at the Portland Harbor Superfund Site, in both the response cost allocation and NRDA allocation processes;
  • Representing a coalition of municipal water providers in a contested case involving protests to their water rights before the Oregon Water Resources Department;
  • Representing numerous Oregon municipalities on issues related to their water delivery systems, including the development and preservation of water rights;
  • Representing an Oregon municipality with a combined sewer system regarding compliance with its NPDES permit;
  • Representing an Oregon municipality in negotiations with state regulatory agencies and private stakeholders in a major public works project involving the replacement of an aging sewer line with a state of the art buoyant line through a lake, including advising the municipality regarding public contracting and insurance issues;
  • Defending a chemical company in a complex groundwater contamination case in California;
  • Counseling the former owner of a contaminated property in California regarding transfer of remedial obligations to the new owner;
  • Representing a chemical company named as a potentially responsible party at a former drum reconditioning Superfund Site in the Los Angeles area;
  • Defended a multinational corporation in enforcement proceedings brought by the Oregon Occupational Safety & Health Division and provide ongoing counsel regarding compliance with OSHA;
  • Defended a Washington-based mining contractor in enforcement proceedings brought by the federal Mine Safety & Health Administration and provide ongoing counsel regarding compliance with MSHA;
  • Represented and counseled a multinational allergen manufacturing company in negotiations with EPA regarding wastewater pretreatment issues at its facilities in Washington and Idaho;
  • Represented the developer of a proposed liquefied natural gas terminal on various aspects of local, state and federal permitting issues and consultation under the Endangered Species Act;
  • Represented a tribal corporation regarding tax implications of an online business;

PROFESSIONAL & CIVIC ACTIVITIES

  • Multnomah Bar Foundation, Board of Directors (2009- present)
  • California Bar Association, Member
  • Women in Environment, Member
  • Growing Gardens, Board of Directors (2009- present)
  • Instructor, Environmental Law & Policy, Boston College (Spring 2005)
  • Judge, Stetson International Environmental Moot Court Competition (2007-2011)
  • American Bar Association, Member
  • Oregon Bar Association, Environmental & Natural Resources Section, Member
  • New York Bar Association, Member
  • Oregon Women Lawyers (OWLs), Member
  • Oregon Association of Defense Counsel, member

AWARDS

  • Oregon Super Lawyers, Rising Star (2009, 2010)

EDUCATION

  • J.D., Boston College Law School (2005), Certificate in Environmental Law
  • B.A., The George Washington University (1999) magna cum laude, International Affairs and Anthropology

ADMISSIONS

  • New York
  • Oregon
  • California