Susan J. Crane

Susan Crane has maintained her own environmental law practice since 1995. Her practice areas include regulatory compliance for hazardous waste site cleanups, Massachusetts Chapter 21E and federal CERCLA/Superfund liability and related environmental cleanup cost and damages claims, environmental insurance coverage claims, the defense of administrative environmental enforcement actions, and other environmental regulatory compliance and liability matters. Her clients include manufacturers, dry cleaners, service stations, developers, and other businesses both large and small; individuals, including homeowners; municipalities; and non-profit organizations. She is also a certified mediator.

In addition to her law practice, Susan worked as a Land Protection Specialist at Sudbury Valley Trustees, a regional land trust, from 2009 until 2014. She negotiated and drafted conservation agreements for the permanent protection of open space, including conservation restrictions, which she continues to do now for private parties, including landowners and land trusts.

Previously, she had been an associate in environmental departments of large national and international law firms including Kirkpatrick & Lockhart, now K&L Gates; Brown Rudnick Freed & Gesmer, now Brown Rudnick LLP; and LeBoeuf Lamb Leiby & MacRae.

Susan is actively involved in the environmental community. She has served as Chair of the Boston Bar Association's Environmental Public Policy and Environmental Litigation Committees; as Clerk of the Board of Directors of Sudbury Valley Trustees; as Chair of the Sudbury, Assabet and Concord River Stewardship Council; as Chair of the Lawyers Water Policy Committee of the Environmental League of Massachusetts; as Co-Chair of the Environment, Energy, and Natural Resources section of the Massachusetts chapter of the Federal Bar Association; and on the Editorial Board of Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly. She lobbied for and participated in drafting the Massachusetts Home Heating Oil Bill, enacted into law in 2009 as M.G.L. c. 175, §4D, and M.G.L. c. 148, §38J, for the protection of homeowners with fuel oil releases on their properties. 

Susan is currently the Vice President of the Stow Conservation Trust. She is an active member of the LSP Association’s Legislation Committee and received the LSPA’s 2022 Contribution to the Practice award. In 2023, Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly named Susan as a Massachusetts “Go to” Environmental Lawyer. Martinale-Hubbell peer review rated Susan "AV Preeminent," the highest level of attorney professional standards and ethics.