James L. Pray
Address:
BROWNWINICK LAW FIRM
Ruan Center, Suite 2000
666 Grand Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50309
Telephone: 515-242-2404
e-mail: pray @ brownwinick. com
Undergraduate: University of Nebraska-Omaha (B.S., magna cum laude, 1980)
Legal:
University of Iowa (J.D., with distinction, 1984) Admitted to bar, 1985, Iowa; admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa; U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa; U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit.
Managing Editor, 1983-1984, Journal of Corporation Law.
Published Articles:
“Volkswagen’s woes could affect ethanol plants” Ethanol Producer Magazine, (October 13, 2015) November, 2015
“Legal Liabilities for Sale, Shipment of Off-Spec Biodiesel” Biodiesel Magazine (September 2, 2014)
“Liability Looopholes” Biofuels International Volume 6, Issue 1, 2012
“Liability Insurance Issues in Biofuel Transportation,” Biodiesel Magazine (November 2011);
“Understanding your Carbon Credit Contracts,” Ethanol Producer Magazine (January 2009);
“Getting Control of Ethanol Spills,” Ethanol Producer Magazine (May 2008);
“Avoid Air Permit Violations When Expanding an Ethanol Plant,” Ethanol Producer Magazine (September 2006);
“Reclamation Bonds from the Surety Perspective,” Mining Committee Newsletter American Bar Association (March 2006)
Why a Uniform Environmental Covenants Act? The Iowa Lawayer, 15 (April 2005)
Chapter Author, “Environmental Law”, John D. Edwards, editor, Iowa Legal Research Guide, William S. Hein & Co. (2003);
Chapter One, “Administration of Environmental Regulation in Iowa (Practice Before the IDNR)”, Environmental Law Practice Manual (Iowa State Bar Association) (1997);
“Legal Implications of Distributed Program Code,” 4 Computer Litigation Journal No. 8 1997;
Comment, “Banking Law-A.G. Becker v. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System: Commercial Paper Is Not a Security Under the Glass-Steagall Act,” 9 The Journal of Corporation Law 321, 1984 (cited by US Supreme Court in Securities Industries Association v. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System 468 U.S. 137, 159 (1984));
Note, “Application of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) to Securities Violations,” 8 The Journal of Corporation Law 411, 1983, reprinted in 25 Securities L. Rev. 373 (1983), (cited by US Supreme Court in Holmes v. Secs. Investor Protection Corp., 503 U.S. 258 (1992)).
Member:
Polk County Bar Association (Board of Directors, 1997-1998);
Iowa State Bar Association, Environmental and Natural Resources Law Council, 1996-1999, 2000-2007, Chair 1998-1999, 2004-2007, Member 2014-2020;
Iowa State Bar Association, Administrative Law Council, 1992-1995, Chair, 1993-1995;
Member, Task Force on Administrative Law 1994-1996);
Lincoln Inne;
American Bar Associations;
Listed in The Best Lawyers of America 2006-2017 for environmental law and “Lawyer of the Year” for environmental law in 2013 and 2017; and
Listed in Super Lawyers.
Presentations
Northwest Accountants Association, August 16, 1991
“Accounting Liability in Iowa”
Environmental Law Seminar, Iowa State Bar Association, October 30, 1992
“Litigating Environmental Cases through the Administrative Process”
National Business Institute Seminar, April 30, 1993
“Hazardous Waste in Iowa,” “Unique Iowa Environmental Laws” and “Toxic Tort Suits in Iowa”
Iowa State Bar Association Annual Meeting, June 16, 1993
“Defenses of Iowa Landowners of Contaminated Property”
Administrative Law Seminar, Iowa State Bar Association, September 17, 1993
“Litigation Practice Before Administrative Agencies”
Environmental Law Seminar, Iowa Bar Association, November 3, 1994
” Proposed Rule Changes for IDNR Procedures.”
Administrative Law Seminar, Iowa Bar Association, October 13, 1995
“Chapter 17A Revisited – Next Generation of Administrative Law.”
Environmental Law Seminar, Iowa Bar Association, October 27, 1995
“Blue Chip, Hagen and Their Progeny.”
National Business Institute Seminar, September 12, 1996
“Negotiating and Drafting Environmental Provisions in Commercial Real Estate Leases.”
Environmental Law Seminar, Iowa Bar Association, October 9, 1997
“Conflicts of Interest in Environmental Law.”
Co-Author – Environmental Law Seminar, Iowa Bar Association, October 9, 1997
“Environmental Issues in Probate and Estate Administration.”
Iowa League of Cities, October 7, 1999
“Brownfields – Using State and Federal Programs to Develop Contaminated Real Estate”
Trileaf Environmental, September , 2000
“Professional Liability for the Groundwater Professional”
Groundwater Professionals of Iowa, November , 2000
“The New Agricultural Chemical Act.”
Environmental Law Seminar, Iowa Bar Association, October 19, 2001
“Brownfields in Iowa”
Joint Law Firm Seminar, March 28, 2002
“Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act”
Environmental Law Seminar Iowa Bar Association, October 25, 2002
“Toxic Mold Litigation “ A Preview”
Construction Specification Institute, February 13, 2003
“Internet Construction Project Management Liability”
Construction Specification Institute, February 25, 2003
“Toxic Mold and Liability Issues for the Contractor”
Lorman Education Services, April 8, 2003
“Environmental Issues in Construction Litigation”
Iowa Bar Association “ Bridge the Gap, May 1, 2003
“Federal Liability for Environmental Violations”
National Business Institute, August 7, 2003
“Complying with Environmental and Special Use Regulations”
Iowa State Bar Association, Environmental Law Section, February 13, 2004
“Real Estate Phase I Investigations under the EPA’s new ‘All Appropriate Inquiry’ rules”
National Association of Legal Secretaries, July 16, 2004
“Federal Environmental Liability”
Iowa Commercial Applicators Association, January 27, 2005
“Commercial Fertilizer Liability”
Iowa Industrial Energy Group, April 5, 2005
“Personal Liability of Corporate Managers for Environmental Violations”
Iowa Certified Commercial Investment Member Association, May 16, 2006
“Special Problems in Conducting Due Diligence for Real Estate Development ” and
“Real Estate Phase I Investigations under the EPA’s new ‘All Appropriate Inquiry’ rules.”
Environmental Professionals of Iowa, November 17, 2006
“The New ‘All Appropriate Inquiry’ Rules and Professional Liability for the Environmental Professional”
Lohrman Educational Services, January 30, 2007
“Environmental Concerns in Commercial Real Estate Financing”
Iowa Association of Business and Industry, October 16, 2007
“Facing New Environmental Challenges”
Iowa Bar Association, Environmental Law Section, October 19, 2007
“Iowa’s Water Rights Laws”
Lincoln Inne, December 17, 2007
“Iowa’s Water Rights Laws”
Iowa Bar Association, Environmental Law Section, October 17, 2008
“Iowa Legislative Update”
Commercial Real Estate Financing in Iowa, April 24, 2008
“Environmental Concerns in Commercial Real Estate Financing”
Ethanol Bankruptcies and Acquisitions Conference, Houston, Texas, July 30, 2009
“Bankruptcy Panel”
Association of Business and Industry, Des Moines, Iowa, September 16, 2009
“Negotiating Carbon Contracts”
Iowa Bar Association, Environmental Law Section, October 9, 2009
“Legislative Update”
Iowa Bar Association, Environmental Law Section, October 2010
“Legislative Update”
Iowa Bar Association, Labor & Employment Seminar, 2012
“Practical Lessons for Attorneys Handling E-Discovery
Lincoln Inne, March 12, 2012
“2011-2012 Federal Environmental Case Law Law Update”
Iowa Environmental Compliance 