Clark Hill Adds Gabe Racz and Justine Beckstrom to Environmental Group

Clark Hill announced today that Gabe Racz and Justine Beckstrom have joined the firm’s Environmental and Natural Resources group. Racz joins as a Member and Beckstrom joins as Senior Counsel.

Racz and Beckstrom will be based in the firm’s Boulder office and also contribute to Clark Hill’s Water Rights practice area.

“Joining Clark Hill significantly enhances our ability to serve our clients,” Racz said. “There’s a lot of resources we’re excited about, including capabilities in litigation, government relations, and the environmental practice in general.”

Racz and Beckstrom’s clients include mining companies, breweries, municipalities, and manufacturers. Racz primarily assists clients identify and manage water quality requirements arising from commercial and industrial projects, including negotiation or challenges to Clean Water Act water quality standards, discharge permitting, permit and rulemaking appeals, as well as adjudicating and protecting water rights. Beckstrom focuses on Colorado water quality issues for municipal and industrial clients in permitting and rulemaking processes.

“What attracted us to Clark Hill is also the firm’s commitment to Boulder and the growth and potential we see there,” Racz said. “Boulder is a great place to practice with lots of interesting and important business activity, and it’s especially a great spot to be practicing water and water quality law.”

Racz and Beckstrom also have an active mining industry environmental compliance practice. Racz and Beckstrom were awarded the 2024 Outstanding Service to the Mining Industry Award from the Colorado Mining Association.

Racz is active in the Colorado Chamber of Commerce Energy and Environment Council and chairs the Water Quality Committee for the Colorado Water Congress. He earned his law degree from the University of Illinois College of Law.

Beckstrom is active in a number of stakeholder efforts to develop state regulations and policy on various water quality matters. She earned her law degree from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law.

“We are delighted to add Gabe and Justine to our national environmental and natural resource practices and we look forward to many synergies from adding their expertise and industry experience to our group,” said Clark Hill’s Environmental and Natural Resources Business Unit Leader Patrick Larkin. “Their practice will enhance our service capabilities for many client groups and industries across the firm and we are eager to support and grow their ability to serve existing Colorado clients.”