Gerald Pouncey, Jr. is the Chairman of Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP. A Senior Partner in the firm, he also heads the Environmental, Infrastructure and Land Use Practice. His primary focus is the acquisition, disposition and/or the redevelopment of properties with significant environmental impact (including state and federal superfund sites), mergers, investments and financing related to such properties, and the development and implementation of green energy technologies and strategies. He lectures nationally on these topics.

Mr. Pouncey has led efforts in the financing, acquisition, redevelopment, and regulatory closure of numerous industrial properties, mines and landfills throughout the United States including a former wood treating facility in South Florida, a former airplane manufacturing facility in New York, former Department of Defense facilities, several former automobile assembly facilities across the country, a former granite mine in Maryland, a former chrome ore smelting facility in South Carolina, a former oil field in California and numerous other similar projects. Included with these projects is the Atlantic Station Redevelopment in Atlanta, a project that was recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as the nation’s best Brownfield redevelopment. Mr. Pouncey has also led efforts in the expansion and redevelopment of various port facilities. He has served as lead negotiator for industry (both foreign and domestic) considering locating in the Southeast. Mr. Pouncey’s practice also encompasses all of the facets of design, development and construction of sustainable buildings, renewable energy facilities, including various LEED certified developments.

Mr. Pouncey served as a legislative appointee to the Commission formed to review reauthorization of Georgia’s Hazardous Waste Trust Fund. As part of this legislative committee, he was the principal author of Georgia’s new brownfield legislation. Mr. Pouncey is the current Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Council for Quality Growth organization. He is a Board Member of the North Georgia Water Management District. Mr. Pouncey also serves on the Board of Directors for the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. He also serves on the national Environmental Subcommittee of the International Council of Shopping Centers. Mr. Pouncey is a contributing author to the American Bar Association publication, Brownfields, A Comprehensive Guide to Redeveloping Contaminated Property.

Mr. Pouncey has been voted as one of America’s Leading Lawyers for Business by Chambers USA and honored as a "Georgia Super Lawyer" by Atlanta magazine. Mr. Pouncey is listed as Who’s Who in the Law by Atlanta Business Chronicle. He was selected by his peers as one of Georgia Trend's Legal Elite and as a member of The Best Lawyers in America in the specialty of Environmental Law. The Best Lawyers in America also named him Environmental Lawyer of the Year for 2017. He was also honored by the National Law Journal in 2016 as an Energy and Environmental Trailblazer.

Representative Experience:

- Since its inception, served as lead environmental counsel for the Atlantic Station project, which is the nation’s largest brownfield redevelopment, including acquisition and redevelopment of the project.

- Served as lead negotiator for locating the 1 billion dollar Toyo Tire facility in Georgia.

- Served as environmental counsel to Jacoby Development in Jacoby’s acquisition of the former Ford Auto Assembly Plant in Hapeville, Georgia, a 130 acre Brownfield south of Atlanta.

Bar Admissions
Georgia, 1985

Education
University of Georgia, 1985
Juris Doctor (J.D.)
magna cum laude
Phi Kappa Phi
Phi Eta Sigma
Tau Beta Pi
Omega Chi Epsilon
Order of the Coif
Robert Woodruff Scholar
Notes Editor, Georgia Law Review, 1984-85
Auburn University, 1982
Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
with honors
Omega Chi Epsilon

Significant Accomplishments
Listed, Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, top lawyer in Environmental Law (2007-2019)
Named, The Best Lawyers in America, Environmental Law (2007-2019)
Selected, Georgia Super Lawyer by Atlanta magazine (2004-2018)
Named, Environmental Lawyer of the Year, The Best Lawyers in America, 2017
Named, National Law Journal’s Energy & Environmental Trailblazer, 2016
Selected by his peers as one of Georgia Trend’s Legal Elite
Listed, Who’s Who in the Law by Atlanta Business Chronicle
Law Clerk to Honorable James C. Hill, United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit (1985-86)

Professional Associations
Board of Directors, Georgia Chamber of Commerce
Former Chairman of the Board of Directors, The Walker School
Former Chairman of the Board of Directors and Current Executive Committee Member, Council for Quality Growth
Board Member, North Georgia and Metropolitan Atlanta Water Management District
Member, Regional Leadership Institute, Atlanta Regional Commission
Member, Metropolitan Atlanta Chamber of Commerce Environmental & Energy Committee
Member, International Council of Shopping Centers National Environmental & Energy Committee
Former Chair and Current Executive Committee Member, Georgia Brownfield Association
Atlanta Bar Association, Past Board Member and Chair of the Environmental and Toxic Tort Section
Officer, National Environmental Subcommittee for the International Council of Shopping Centers
Executive Committee Member and Board Member for the Council for Quality Growth
Environmental Committee for the Atlanta Chapter of the Urban Land Institute