Law360 Quotes Kirk Maag on How He Became an Environmental Lawyer and Helps His Clients Thrive

Partner and 2020 Law360 Rising Star Kirk Maag was profiled in Law360 in an article in which he discussed several interesting and impactful legal matters he has worked on, what led him to become an environmental lawyer, and what he is the most proud of.

Maag, who co-leads Stoel Rives’ Agribusiness, Food, Beverage, and Timber Industry Group, was inspired to pursue a law degree by a professor, Dr. Fred Obermiller, he met as an undergraduate at Oregon State University. “His perception was there were too few people working in natural resource law and policy who had actually worked on the ground in the industries that were being impacted by those laws and policies,” Maag, who grew up on a farm, said. “He recognized that lots of farmers, ranchers and foresters aren’t necessarily raising their kids and telling them to go out and be lawyers and lobbyists.”

Being able to help his natural resource industry clients succeed tops the list of accomplishments for which Maag is proud. “Anytime that I can work for natural resource industries to help them succeed, whether that’s selling property, buying property, getting a permit — that’s what I went to law school to do,” he said.

Read “Rising Star: Stoel Rives’ Kirk Maag,” published August 6, 2020. (Subscription required.)