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Jonathan H. Schaefer provides experienced and reasoned advice to a wide range of regional, national, and international clients on environmental, health and safety, and energy matters.

He focuses his practice on environmental compliance counseling, permitting, transactions, site remediation, occupational health and safety, energy regulatory compliance and siting, and regulatory enforcement related to federal and state regulatory programs. Jon’s experiences working on complex matters for over a decade enable him to work effectively with experts and in-house legal counsel to assist clients in minimizing risk and effectively and efficiently resolving compliance, enforcement, transactional, and regulatory matters.

Jon is also the editor of the Environmental Law+ blog, which presents clients and readers across a wide range of industries and businesses with a timely and thoughtful forum for discussion on environmental, health and safety, and energy topics.

Environmental Counseling

Jon consistently counsels clients in connection with their compliance efforts under a multitude of federal, state, and local environmental programs. He advises clients on site cleanup efforts and the costs and obligations related to such efforts. He has served on a Superfund site steering committee and provided counsel on brownfield clean-up efforts. He works closely with his clients, experts, and other lawyers to creatively solve his clients’ risk management challenges. Jon helps clients comply with all state and federal environmental laws, such as the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act; the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act; the Clean Air Act; the Clean Water Act; the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act; the Connecticut Transfer Act; and most other federal and state environmental statutes.

Health + Safety (OSHA)

Jon regularly counsels business clients on a multitude of health and safety issues that arise from their operations. He helps with the review of health and safety procedures, assists with EH+S audits, and works with clients to develop health and safety plans. He represents clients before the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, including evaluating alleged violations and defending clients against citations.

Environmental Transactions

Jon regularly advises a wide variety of corporate and individual clients on environmental risk and liability associated with transactions. Jon brings a reasoned and detailed approach to the management and allocation of risk and liability from his experiences representing both sellers and purchasers on transactions with complex environmental histories and futures. Jon’s focus in a transaction is to reach a closing where the client achieves the right balance of deal success and environmental risk.

Environmental - Dispute Resolution

When environmental disputes arise, Jon helps clients resolve problems through alternative dispute resolution. He also represents clients subject to environmental enforcement throughout the United States. Jon has experience representing clients in disputes involving federal and state environmental laws. This experience enables him to assist his clients with an appropriate strategy to position the client to pursue a favorable settlement or other resolution. He has assisted his clients in reaching favorable settlements with private parties and governmental agencies in several environmental and energy matters.

Energy Regulatory + Siting

Jon appears before state utility regulatory and siting authorities in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire on energy, siting, and utility matters. He counsels renewable and alternative energy clients on regulatory compliance and appears regularly before the Connecticut Siting Council and Public Utilities Regulatory Authority.

Pro Bono

Jon regularly does pro bono work. He assists the Connecticut Veterans Legal Center, by providing legal assistance to veterans who are facing eviction and representing veterans as they navigate through their benefit appeals.

Prior to joining Robinson+Cole, Jon interned with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and with the U.S. Attorney's Office. 

  • University of Connecticut School of Law (Juris Doctor, with honors)
  • The George Washington University (Bachelors)
    • B.A., Political Science

  • Commonwealth of Massachusetts
  • State of Connecticut
  • State of Vermont
  • U.S. District Court, District of Connecticut
  • U.S. Veterans Administration

Ranked in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business in the State of Connecticut in the area of Environment for 2026

Presented with the 2021 Environmental Business Council of New England, Inc. (EBC) Ascending Leader Award

Recognized as a New Leader in the Law by the Connecticut Law Tribune, 2020

Selected as a Rising Star to the Connecticut Super Lawyers list from 2013 to 2025

Selected by his peers for inclusion in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in the areas of Energy Law and Environmental Law from 2021 to 2025

Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence, "First 100," 2013

Environmental Business Council of New England
Chair, Connecticut Chapter (2025 - present)
Working Group Leadership Team (2022 - present)
Member, Offshore Wind Working Group (2021 - present)
Site Remediation and Redevelopment Committee (2019 - present)

American Bar Association
Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources (2012 - present)
Vice-Chair of Waste and Resource Recovery Committee, Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources (2015 - 2019)

Connecticut Bar Association
Vice Chair, Environmental Law Section (2025 - present)
Member, Environmental Law Section (2012 - 2025)
Treasurer, Environmental Law Section (2021 - present)
Member, Energy, Public Utility, and Communications Law Section (2012 - present)
Young Lawyers Section

Federal Bar Council (2015 - 2019)

Hartford Young Professionals and Entrepreneurs (2012 - present)

Oliver Ellsworth American Inn of Court
Pupil (2012 - 2013)

Statewide Legal Services of Connecticut, Inc.
Member, Board of Directors (2020 - present)

Bushnell Park Foundation
Board of Directors (2013 - 2020)
Chair of Governance Committee (2015 - 2019)

Foodshare
Former Walk Against Hunger Team Member

Junior Achievement
Former Volunteer 

The United Way
Former Volunteer Reader