My practice is driven by what clients need on any given day. Many of them are growing businesses that don’t have the internal resources necessary to solve complex legal problems that stand in the way of reaching their goals. They lean on me as an essential member of their team who can give each problem the immediate, hands-on attention it deserves and guide them to the right solution, whether it involves aggressive litigation or negotiating a fair compromise.
Tonya (Toni) Meier focuses her practice on resolving commercial disputes and challenges for real estate developers, landowners and a variety of other businesses, particularly in the areas of environmental law, land use, contract and employment disputes, fraud and DTPA violations. She spends the majority of her time advising clients and handling challenging litigation before state and federal courts, government agencies and municipalities throughout Texas. Toni is also well-equipped to advise clients and protect their interests in federal environmental proceedings in jurisdictions across the country.
Toni has guided developers and landowners to successful outcomes in numerous environmental investigations, enforcement actions and litigation matters involving soil, groundwater and air contamination. Escalation of these disputes is often unavoidable, but Toni always searches for practical ways to keep clients’ penalty liabilities in check and out of the courtroom. Her goal is to bring everyone to the table – former landowners, adjacent owners, the EPA regulators, state regulators and expert consultants – so they can fully assess the causes and extent of the contamination and identify a remediation solution that’s reasonable for everyone involved.
Clients rely on Toni to solve complicated land use problems, including condemnation and zoning issues that may cause costly delays – or even worse – prevent a project from moving forward at all. Unlike traditional litigation that ends in a settlement, on the courthouse steps or a tough battle at trial, resolving land use disputes through collaboration with the city, suburb or county allows Toni to create truly tangible results that are not only beneficial to her clients, but also fair to the municipalities and adjacent property owners that are impacted by the development. Whether the client is engaged in urban revitalization, industrial projects or development of raw land, Toni has the experience and knowledge to achieve her client’s goals by securing the zoning, permitting and approvals necessary in a cost-effective approach.