Firm Overview

The West Firm, PLLC

Tom West founded The West Firm, PLLC in April 2006, after 16 years of developing and servicing an extensive environmental, oil and gas, and energy practice as a partner in a well-known international law firm.  The West Firm’s focus and objective are to provide our clients with an unparalleled level of service.

Our client base includes large and small companies as well as individuals.  For example, we represent a number of institutional clients in major energy projects, including oil and gas development, production, and transmission.  We are lead environmental counsel to a large regional solid waste disposal and recycling company.  Among our other clients are waste oil recyclers, hazardous and solid waste disposal companies, and chemical distributors, to whom we provide a full range of services, from permitting and reporting to litigation support.  We have also successfully represented individuals and commercial entities in enforcement actions initiated by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the New York State Attorney General’s Office.

The West Firm has brought together professionals with years of experience in a broad range of practice areas, including environmental law, zoning and land use, administrative law, commercial litigation, criminal defense, and appellate advocacy.  Founder Tom West has over 25 years of experience in multiple practice areas, including environmental permitting, compliance, land use law, civil and administrative enforcement, and criminal defense, as well as oil and gas development, production, and transmission.  He played a key role in the 2005 amendments to Article 23 of the Environmental Conservation Law, relating to compulsory integration of tracts into the spacing units around oil and gas wells.   Yvonne E. Hennessey (Partner) has represented corporate and municipal clients – both large and small – in a variety of environmental matters, and has experience in all aspects of litigation as well as lobbying, ethics, and election law compliance.   Greg Mountain represents corporate and individual clients in general corporate matters, real estate transactions, secured financing transactions, mergers and acquisitions, land use, development and zoning matters, regulatory compliance activities, dispute resolution, commercial litigation and administrative enforcement procedures.  Cindy Monaco, in addition to her broad technical background in mathematical, environmental and biological sciences, has experience in environmental, oil and gas, energy law, and other regulated practice areas.  Elizabeth Dailey McManus’ practice includes assisting on matters for oil and gas, energy, industrial, and commercial clients in all phases of administrative and regulatory proceedings, alternative dispute resolution, and civil litigation.  Paralegal Vicki Schlierer has over 18 years of environmental and regulatory experience.  In total, our attorneys and staff have almost a century of legal practice, which includes significant confidential clerkship experience with both federal and state courts in New York.  This level of experience, coupled with our size, allows The West Firm to be exceptionally responsive to our clients’ needs.