“Jim knows when to cajole, when to stroke, when to be firm and when to laugh.”

“Compromiser” falls short of describing Jim’s style. It implies a lack of principle or a willingness to get the deal done regardless of the legal or public policy outcome. That isn’t true. “Consensus builder” may come closer, but again suggests a little more passivity than he exhibits. He is aggressive, but not abrasive. He respects people and their ideas. He is tough in negotiations, but listens to people. Not easy for a lot of attorneys.

He gets the big picture and stays the course. He understands that the war is won in a series of battles. Environmental law is unique. It is more than who pays and how much. It requires a careful balancing of the public interest in having a clean and healthy environment with the challenging economic realties of American society. It requires calming the hand wringing, savage beast in [those] who feel that any environmental regulation is too much regulation. It requires tolerating the rhetorical excesses of self-proclaimed saviors of the world. It requires a temperament that knows when to cajole, when to stroke, when to be firm and when to laugh. Jim has it all.

President Business Trade Association