J. Jeffrey McNealey Biography
Jeff
McNealey is a retired partner in the Columbus law firm of Porter Wright Morris
& Arthur LLP, where his practice has focused on environmental matters
nationally, as well as general corporate and related real estate development
issues regionally. He has worked with developers, townships, and municipalities
in the design, adoption, and implementation of a wide range of zoning codes for
residential, commercial, and industrial developments for more than 40 years.
Mr. McNealey has been acknowledged as one of the outstanding environmental and
real estate zoning lawyers in the country since 1986 by The Best Lawyers in America.
He also is listed in Ohio Super
Lawyers since 2003 and Chambers
USA since 2003 (recognized in both fields of environmental law and
real estate development law.) Mr. McNealey has served as lead counsel in many
nationally and regionally significant air, water, and Superfund cases. He has
worked on various wetland issues, water and air pollution impact assessments,
"Brownfield" redevelopments, and infrastructure related matters. Mr.
McNealey has also counseled on constitutional takings issues in an effort to
harmonize public goals with private developmental constraints. He earned his
B.A. degree from Cornell University and his J.D. degree from Ohio State
University. Mr. McNealey is a member of the American, Ohio State (founding
chairman of Environmental Committee) and Columbus bar associations (member of
the associations' Environmental Committees). For many years, Mr. McNealey has
lectured, focusing on environmental and regional development issues, in many
forums for bar associations, private clients, Ohio State University, and numerous CLE seminar programs. He has also
lectured in the Ukraine on environmental matters for US AID and frequently in Germany on city planning issues.
Locally, Jeff has served as a Commissioner of Metro
Parks (currently as Chair) since 2010, and Columbus Recreation and Parks
Commission ( currently as President), since 2009. On a statewide basis, he is
also active in leadership roles in a wide range of social and civic
organizations, most notably serving on the management committee of the Urban
land Institute – Columbus Council, a national organization promoting sound
planning concepts for sustainable growth in our urban and surrounding areas.