GREENVILLE, S.C. – Wyche attorney Rita Bolt Barker is one of only 12 lawyers across the country to receive the prestigious “Distinguished Environmental Advocacy Award” from the American Bar Association (ABA) Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources (SEER). The award recognizes the contributions of lawyers to the development of law, policy and programs in the areas of energy and the environment.
“There are many programs to recognize legal achievement later in an attorney’s career,” said Alexandra Dapolito Dunn, chair of the ABA SEER. “We crafted this program to emphasize the importance of recognizing individuals in our field of practice who are standing out early on by virtue of their ideas, commitment and professionalism.”
Rita was coined “one of the best of the best” by the ABA SEER and Rising Star Committee. As an environmental lawyer with Wyche, Rita’s varied experience includes advising clients on matters arising under federal and state environmental laws, including the Endangered Species Act, the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act, the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act and the SC Pollution Control Act. Rita also advises businesses on assessing environmental risks and incentives associated with corporate transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, and real estate deals, including brownfield redevelopment. She teaches a course on Environmental Law & Conservation Advocacy at Furman University.
Rita has taken on a number of important leadership roles in the community and currently serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors for Greenville Forward, as Vice President of the Board of Directors for the Friends of the Reedy River, and as a member of the City of Greenville’s Green Ribbon Advisory Committee and Brownfield Task Force. Rita has received well-deserved praise for her work, including a listing in Best Lawyers in America and recognition as a “Rising Star” by South Carolina Super Lawyers and “Legal Elite” by the Greenville Business Magazine. She was also named one of the Upstate’s “Best and Brightest Under 35” by the Greenville Business Magazine. Rita is a graduate of Clemson University and Harvard Law School.
About the ABA Section of Environment, Energy & Resources
The ABA SEER is the premier forum for strategies and information for environmental, energy and resource lawyers. Representing nearly 11,000 members with a wide range of professional interests, the section keeps its members abreast of development trends, current court decisions, legislative initiatives and statutes concerning environmental, natural resources and energy law.
About Wyche
Wyche is a full-service law firm which has practiced law and served the community for more than 90 years. In that time, Wyche has participated in landmark litigation, served as counsel on cutting-edge transactions, and provided community leadership that has helped shape and drive our region’s growth and success. With offices in Greenville and Columbia, Wyche is the South Carolina member of Lex Mundi, the world’s leading association of independent law firms.
