Luke Donigan

Senior Associate Buffalo

Luke is a real estate and environmental lawyer who assists clients with a wide range of complex commercial real estate and environmental matters.

Luke counsels corporate and developer clients on real estate transactions, including purchases, sales and related due diligence, as well as in the negotiation of commercial lease agreements. Luke has experience representing clients on matters that involve contaminated properties, and provides counsel on zoning matters, title matters, landlord-tenant disputes, land use matters, easements, telecommunications matters and environmental permitting. His background in environmental engineering provides a unique perspective on legal matters under federal and state environmental laws, including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), and the Brownfield Cleanup Program.

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Education & Admissions

Education
  • Vermont Law School, J.D., magna cum laude, 2017
  • State University of New York at Buffalo, B.S., Environmental Engineering, cum laude, 2015
Admitted to Practice
  • New York
Professional Certifications
  • Engineer in Training (EIT)

Experience

Representative Matters
  • Representation of real estate investment trust (REIT) in acquisition of 16 self-storage facilities.
  • Representation of investment fund in acquisition of 11 telecommunication towers.
  • Representation of individual in the purchase of a contaminated former New York Army National Guard training facility.
  • Representation of tenant in lease negotiations for 45,000-square-foot commercial building.
  • Representation of multiple clients in obtaining Certificates of Completion under the New York State Brownfield Program.
  • Representation of Fortune 500 company in CERCLA inquiry from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
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Activities & Professional Associations

Present Activities

  • Air and Waste Management Association, Niagara Frontier Section, Board of Directors, Section Chair 2021-2022
  • Westminster Economic Development Initiative (WEDI), Board of Directors, Assistant Secretary

Past Activities

  • Student Clinician, Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic, Vermont Law School, 2017
  • Legal Intern, EPA Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance – Federal Facilities Enforcement Office, 2017
  • Vermont Law School Federalist Society, Co-Chair

Professional Associations

  • Air & Waste Management Association
    • Niagara Frontier Section
  • American Bar Association
    • Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources (SEER)
    • Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Section
    • Young Lawyers Division
  • Bar Association of Erie County
  • New York State Bar Association
    • Young Lawyers Section

Articles & Publications

Articles

  • Co-Author, “New Developments on the Horizon for the Opportunity Zone Program,” Buffalo Business First, April 2019

Publications

  • Co-Author, “USA Regional Real Estate – New York,” Chambers Global Practice Guide, June 2019
  • Co-Author, “Regional Real Estate, New York – Law and Practice,” Chambers Global Practice Guides, June 2018