Mr. Patrick A. Genzler

Pat GenzlerHampton Roads Technology Council - About HRTC - Who's Who - Board of Directors
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Patrick A. Genzler Attorney, Vandeventer Black, LLP

Patrick Genzler concentrates his practice in Environmental, Construction, Public Contracts, and Technology Law.

In the environmental field, he has been extensively involved in providing advice to businesses on environmental assessment and remediation, structuring transactions involving "Brownfields" or environmentally impaired properties, regulatory compliance in all media programs, representation in enforcement actions, and representation in environmental litigation between private parties and government agencies.His construction law practice includes representation of contractors and project owners in contract preparation, negotiation, litigation of contract disputes, arbitration and mediation.

Mr. Genzler also devotes a significant portion of his practice to government contracts and technology issues, including computer hardware, software, and telecommunications systems contracts and licenses.He serves as General Counsel to the Hampton Roads Technology Council.

Mr. Genzler received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 1971 from Virginia Polytechnic Institute, a J.D. in 1978 from The College of William & Mary School of Law, where he was Managing Editor of The William & Mary Law Review, and a Masters of Law (LL.M.) in Environmental Law in 1989 from George Washington University.Mr. Genzler is also an arbitrator and mediator.He is certified as a mediator and mediator-mentor by the Virginia Supreme Court to serve for Circuit Court cases, and he is also certified by the North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission to mediate Superior Court cases.Mr. Genzler is a member of the Norfolk & Portsmouth, Virginia and American Bar Associations, as well as the Virginia State Bar and North Carolina State Bar.He is active in the environmental, construction and public contracts law sections of those organizations.

Patrick GenzlerCounsel - HRTC, Attorney, Vandeventer Black, LLP
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Pat Genzler - HRTC Vandeventer Black

Chair, Patrick Genzler - Attorney, Vandeventer Black LLP

Patrick GenzlerVandeventer Black, LLP

Coordinators and Instructors: Patrick A. Genzler, Vandeventer Black LLP

Home > Attorneys > Patrick A. Genzler
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Patrick A. Genzler
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Patrick A. Genzler

Practice Focus:
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Pat is a partner with Vandeventer Black and concentrates his law practice in environmental, construction, and public contracts matters. In the environmental field, he has been extensively involved in providing regulatory compliance advice in all media programs and provides representation in environmental litigation between private parties and in enforcement and permitting disputes with federal, state and local government agencies. Pat also devotes a significant portion of his practice to construction and government contracts, where he has represented contractors in private litigation and contract disputes with public agencies. He is also experienced in Technology issues including drafting and negotiation of computer and telecommunications systems contracts and licenses.

He received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute, a J.D. from The College of William & Mary School of Law, where he was Managing Editor of the William & Mary Law Review, and a Masters of Law (L.L.M.) in Environmental Law from George Washington University.

Pat is certified by the Virginia Supreme Court to serve as a mediator for Circuit Court cases, and is certified by the North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission to mediate Superior Court cases. He has also served as an arbitrator in disputes involving construction, environmental, computer technology, and other technical issues. In addition to his experience as a "neutral" mediator or arbitrator, Pat has also worked as an advocate for numerous clients in mediation and arbitration proceedings, including cases involving software development contracts, environmental remediation contracts and building and highway construction projects.

Pat serves on the Associate Leadership Committee for the Virginia Transportation Construction Alliance (VTCA). He is Past Chair of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce Transportation Subcommittee (2004).

Prior to his legal career, Pat has worked as a mechanical engineer and served as a naval officer.

Environmental/Land Use Profile | Patrick A. Genzler
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Patrick A. GenzlerENVIRONMENTAL LAW
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Patrick A. Genzler was still getting his feet wet as an associate at Vandeventer Black LLP when a tug struck a freighter it was moving in Hampton Roads.A gash through the freighter,s fuel tank spilled 9,000 gallons of fuel into the Elizabeth River.

The oil spill helped put Genzler,s environmental law career on the map.He participated in one of the first tests of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990. ,It was a legal challenge because it was the first time many of the issues had been dealt with,, Genzler says.The law limited liability for some ships involved in oil spills depending on their size.

The December 1993 oil spill was an exciting and challenging time for Genzler, who had joined the firm only a year earlier after a Navy career.Representing the tug,s operator, Genzler was on the site working with the Coast Guard and cleanup crews from day one through the litigation.Citing the federal law passed after the Exxon Valdez tanker catastrophe in Alaska, he was able to help limit the client,s responsibility to about one-third of the $1.6 million cost of the cleanup and lost fuel.

Genzler,s hands-on involvement in the case is typical of the attentiveness of the former Navy judge advocate, according to clients and lawyers who have worked with him.
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Genzler brought in environmental experts and convinced city officials that the 100-foot setback they wanted around the 17-acre Copeland Park Industrial Park was unnecessary.

,It saved us three acres at $125,000 an acre,, Challoner said. ,His $10,000 bill or whatever it was was well worth it.,

A mechanical engineer by training, the 1971 Virginia Tech graduate was drawn to environmental law by the technical nature of the work.It was a hot issue in the 1980s, especially for the military, which was coping with cleaning up contaminated bases after the Superfund Act passed in 1980.Genzler, a College of William & Mary law school graduate, earned a master,s degree in environmental law from George Washington University, courtesy of the Navy.

Serving three years as the environmental counsel for the Atlantic Fleet proved a useful background for a law firm with a large maritime practice. ,At the time it was really the hot issue and it looked interesting.It,s really evolved over the years,, says Genzler.

His practice now deals with more real estate transactions involving brownfields and contaminated properties.While he works with the Virginia Department of Environ-mental Quality and the U.S. Environ-mental Protection Agency on environmental concerns, he also has to be aware of business aspects of a transaction, helping lenders and other parties handle ,issues that can kill a deal.,

When not visiting contaminated sites or delving into the minutia of environmental law, Genzler, 55, can often be found outdoors playing golf or enjoying the beach with his wife.

The past five years he,s also been a volunteer mediator at the Norfolk Community Mediation Center, helping to resolve small disputes from home repairs to dog bites.A certified mediator in Virginia and North Carolina, Genzler says the volunteer work helps his professional career but also keeps him grounded. ,It takes you out of the world of big problems and brings you down,, he says.

Patrick A. Genzler
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Patrick A. Genzler was still getting his feet wet as an associate at Vandeventer Black LLP when a tug struck a freighter it was moving in Hampton Roads.
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The oil spill helped put Genzler's environmental law career on the map.He participated in one of the first tests of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990."It was a legal challenge because it was the first time many of the issues had been dealt with," Genzler says.The law limited liability for some ships involved in oil spills depending on their size.

The December 1993 oil spill was an exciting and challenging time for Genzler, who had joined the firm only a year earlier after a Navy career.Representing the tug's operator, Genzler was on the site working with the Coast Guard and cleanup crews from day one through the litigation.Citing the federal law passed after the Exxon Valdez tanker catastrophe in Alaska, he was able to help limit the client's responsibility to about one-third of the $1.6 million cost of the cleanup and lost fuel.

Genzler's hands-on involvement in the case is typical of the attentiveness of the former Navy judge advocate, according to clients and lawyers who have worked with him.One client, Mike Challoner, president of Hampton-based Main Industries, says Genzler doesn't waste time in tackling issues.
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Genzler brought in environmental experts and convinced city officials that the 100-foot setback they wanted around the 17-acre Copeland Park Industrial Park was unnecessary.
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Genzler, a College of William & Mary law school graduate, earned a master's degree in environmental law from George Washington University, courtesy of the Navy.

Serving three years as the environmental counsel for the Atlantic Fleet proved a useful background for a law firm with a large maritime practice."At the time it was really the hot issue and it looked interesting.It's really evolved over the years," says Genzler.

His practice now deals with more real estate transactions involving brownfields and contaminated properties.While he works with the Virginia Department of Environ-mental Quality and the U.S. Environ-mental Protection Agency on environmental concerns, he also has to be aware of business aspects of a transaction, helping lenders and other parties handle "issues that can kill a deal."

When not visiting contaminated sites or delving into the minutia of environmental law, Genzler, 55, can often be found outdoors playing golf or enjoying the beach with his wife.

The past five years he's also been a volunteer mediator at the Norfolk Community Mediation Center, helping to resolve small disputes from home repairs to dog bites.A certified mediator in Virginia and North Carolina, Genzler says the volunteer work helps his professional career but also keeps him grounded."It takes you out of the world of big problems and brings you down," he says.

Also pictured: Patrick Genzler of Vandeventer Black and Sheila Noll of York County.