Founding partners Alan Knauf and Linda Shaw first brought their extensive environmental law experience together and formed Knauf Shaw LLP in 1986. Dwight Kanyuck and Amy Kendall were named partners in January 2018, and have taken leading roles in the firm.  Jonathan Tantillo and Melissa Valle are our newest named partners as of June 2022. Associate attorney Samantha Rubino and law clerk Agata Pijanowski support the firm in all areas of the practice.

Together, Knauf Shaw attorneys guide businesses, developers, landowners, municipalities and other clients through New York’s many review and approval processes including the State Environmental Quality Review Act, Brownfield Cleanup Program, and related land use, zoning and municipal issues. We also assist clients with recovering environmental cleanup costs in actions against responsible parties and insurers, as well as defending clients in State enforcement or cost-recovery actions, in addition to facilitating or challenging decision-making by local, state and federal agencies. Representative cases include Lighthouse Pointe Property Associates, LLC v. NYSDEC, 14 N.Y.3d 161 (2010); Norse Energy Corp. USA v. Town of Dryden, 108 A.D.3d 25 (3d Dep’t 2013);  RACER Trust v. National Grid, et al., 10 F.4th 87 (2d Cir. 2021).

Knauf Shaw’s energy practice is complemented by its sister company Future Energy Development, LLC, a New York State/City certified Women-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE) providing grant writing, business support, financial incentive bundling, education, and project development services for green energy companies and energy efficient building developers.