Sean Mahoney serves as the Vice President for Maine and Senior Counsel. Prior to joining CLF in 2007, Sean practiced environmental law in San Francisco and Portland, ME for 15 years, where he represented a variety of commercial and non-governmental entities in all aspects of state and federal environmental litigation and permitting.
At CLF, Mahoney focuses on marine conservation and sustainability, climate change, transportation and energy infrastructure, and restoring and protecting Maine’s rivers and coastal watersheds.
Mahoney, a resident of Falmouth, received his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law and his undergraduate degree from Bowdoin College. He was a Judicial Law Clerk for the Honorable Fred I. Parker, U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont and served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Sri Lanka. Mahoney has been recognized as a leading lawyer in his field by a number of organizations, including the respected legal research and publishing firm, Chamber & Partners. He has served on a number of boards, including GrowSmart Maine (chair), Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Konbit Sante and the Falmouth Land Trust, and was a former member of the Falmouth Town Council.
Recent Posts
Oct 19 2023
February 14, 2024Victory! The Land Use Planning Commission has firmly rejected the Pickett Mountain mining proposal. The North Woods, Baxter State Park, and Katahdin region make up an irreplaceable stretch of Maine wilderness – rich in biodiversity, home to many iconic Maine species, and sacred to many members of the Indigenous Wabanaki Nation. However, this vital…
Feb 16 2022
Maine legislators have the unique opportunity to reset the state’s relationship with its indigenous tribes through three bills under consideration this legislative session. For centuries, Maine systematically oppressed its Wabanaki tribes – the Passamaquoddy Tribe, the Penobscot Nation, the Houlton Band of Maliseets and the Aroostook Band of Miqmaq, who together comprise the Wabanaki Alliance…
Jan 21 2021
When President Joe Biden formally announced his administration’s climate team late last month, you could almost hear the collective sigh of relief from people not just in our country but around the globe. Biden’s nominees will be charged with implementing his “ambitious plan to address the existential threat of our time: climate change.” And they…
Nov 12 2019
A decade ago, South Portland’s Long Creek teetered on the edge of crisis, so polluted that it could barely sustain wildlife. Surrounded by big box stores, parking lots, and office buildings of the ever-expanding Maine Mall area, the meandering creek had been cowed by stormwater pollution. When rain fell or snow melted, it would rush…
Oct 4 2019
With newly elected Governor Mills at the helm, Maine passed emergency legislation last June that requires the state to drastically reduce its climate-damaging emissions. This new climate law sets enforceable emissions targets and establishes a roadmap to get there. And now the rubber is hitting the road. Two utilities are looking for approval to pass…
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