We are pleased to announce the elevation of Michelle E. Chester to shareholder, effective January 1, 2023.

“Michelle has been integral to the firm since joining us in 2017,” said Theresa Barfield, managing shareholder. “We are proud to welcome her into the partnership and look forward to seeing her continued success in the future.”

Licensed in California and Colorado, Michelle focuses her practice on water rights, water quality, and land use matters. Drawing on experience in administrative and public agency law, and a background that blends environmental science and policy, Michelle supports public and private clients in solving complex problems pertaining to an array of water resource and environmental matters. As a founding member of the firm’s pro bono committee, Michelle volunteers her time and talents for the nonprofit KIND, Kids in Need of Defense. She earned her JD from McGeorge School of Law and joined Somach after working three years with the California Energy Commission.

Somach Simmons & Dunn is a midsize environmental and water law firm, with offices in California, Colorado, and the District of Columbia. The firm’s attorneys represent public and private sector clients across a range of water, air, and land disciplines, including litigation, transactional, and public policy matters. Learn more at somachlaw.com.