John is one of the leading environmental and maritime law attorneys on the West Coast.  He is admitted to practice in California and Washington, and has 28 years of experience in environmental, toxic tort and maritime law.

He heads the environmental law section of the firm, handling both litigation and non-litigation matters in Washington, Oregon, Alaska and California. Non-litigation client matters primarily consist of transactions relating to corporate and contracting work for marine-related companies including marine construction companies for oil pollution concerns, toxic waste (soil, surface water, and ground-water). His law practice also includes transactions relating to corporate and contracting work for construction, manufacturing, and transportation-related businesses, oil companies, and international trading companies. He has extensive litigation experience involving products liability, contracting and bidding disputes, construction defense, toxic tort (asbestosis, hearing loss, and chemical exposure), international oil transactions, export/import transactions, transportation-related litigation and transactions including acquisitions, mergers and leasing. Mr. Lenker's practice is focused on the following areas of environmental and maritime law as well as insurance defense and coverage:

Environmental Law:

State and federal environmental laws and regulations including criminal liability; audits; disclosure requirements; reporting and due diligence; property transactions to allocate environmental liability; Brownfields and impaired property redevelopment; environmental impairment insurance; environmental issues in the landlord-tenant context; underground storage tanks, asbestos and lead-based paint claims; storm water and groundwater contamination and remediation.

Cost recovery and contribution claims including private recovery of remedial action costs pursuant to CERCLA and MTCA.
Environmental permitting.
Lender liability for contaminated properties.
Defense of principally responsible parties on EPA superfund sites.
Insurance Defense and Coverage:

Environmental Claims - General liability (CGL) coverage claims; "sick building" claims; hazardous product liability; first party property and third party commercial claims (environmental and non-environmental claims); construction defect; personal injury; product and toxic tort claims; multi-year programs and long-tail claims by additional insureds; primary umbrella and excess policy claims; "lost policies"; and historical construction of coverages.

Maritime Claims - Vessel collisions and allisions; vessel groundings, sinkings, scuttling and barratry; cargo loss and damage; inland marine (fine art and jeweler's block); oil pollution; natural resource damages; personal injury; wreck removal; ship repairer's legal liability; marina operator's legal liability; products liability; products and completed operations; shipyard builder's risk.

Education and Personal Background:

Mr. Lenker has 14 years of combined experience as a deck officer on U.S. flag and tug boats and ashore in management with shipowners and their agents in the U.S. and in Micronesia, Denmark, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the West Coast of South America. He is a graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy 1971, B.S., University of Portland MBA 1978 and the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, J.D. 1982.

Clients include Atlantic Mutual Insurance Companies, Centennial Insurance Companies, Chubb Group of Insurance Companies, Claredon America Insurance Co., Gemini Insurance Co., USF Insurance Co., Shipowner Claims Bureau (American P&I Club), ACE USA, St. Paul Fire & Marine Insurance Company, City of Tacoma, Washington, Commonwealth Insurance Co., Northwest Railway Museum.

Memberships include the Washington State Bar Association, California Bar Association, King County Bar Association, Marine Insurance Association of Seattle, Puget Sound Marine Claims Association, Propeller Club of the United States, Maritime Law Association of the United States. He is past president of the Environmental Coalition of South Seattle and a member of the Northwest Environmental Business Council (NEBC).