Claudia Rast is a shareholder based in Butzel Long’s Ann Arbor office. She has extensive experience counseling both start-up and well-established clients on emerging legal issues related to business and technology, particularly online and web-based companies. She blends the study of law, business, and technology to assist companies in their choice and use of technology to maintain a competitive edge. As a Board member for Ann Arbor’s New Enterprise Forum, she coaches technology start-ups in their efforts to connect with management expertise, venture capital, and business partners.
Ms. Rast is also an experienced environmental lawyer, focusing on alternative energy and sustainability practices, including work on the development of a global Rule of Law Index for environment and energy with the World Justice Project, an offshoot of the American Bar Association. Locally, she is a Board Member of the Clean Energy Coalition (CEC), where she developed the legal framework for the DOE’s $15M grant to the CEC for the Michigan Green Fleets project and the Michigan Public Service Commission’s $4.5M grant for the Cities of Promise program. In addition, Ms. Rast has substantial experience in other federal and state regulatory issues, including the removal of vast underground storage tank farms in the 1990’s; Superfund remediation and litigation; Clean Water Act permitting and litigation; Solid Waste permitting and compliance; and SWAP grant permitting.
Claudia Rast is a shareholder based in Butzel Long’s Ann Arbor office. She has extensive experience counseling both start-up and well-established clients on emerging legal issues related to business and technology, particularly online and web-based companies. She blends the study of law, business, and technology to assist companies in their choice and use of technology to maintain a competitive edge. As a Board member for Ann Arbor’s New Enterprise Forum, she coaches technology start-ups in their efforts to connect with management expertise, venture capital, and business partners.
Ms. Rast is also an experienced environmental lawyer, focusing on alternative energy and sustainability practices, including work on the development of a global Rule of Law Index for environment and energy with the World Justice Project, an offshoot of the American Bar Association. Locally, she is a Board Member of the Clean Energy Coalition (CEC), where she developed the legal framework for the DOE’s $15M grant to the CEC for the Michigan Green Fleets project and the Michigan Public Service Commission’s $4.5M grant for the Cities of Promise program. In addition, Ms. Rast has substantial experience in other federal and state regulatory issues, including the removal of vast underground storage tank farms in the 1990’s; Superfund remediation and litigation; Clean Water Act permitting and litigation; Solid Waste permitting and compliance; and SWAP grant permitting.
Ms. Rast is a frequent speaker on matters ranging from Electronic Discovery, Online Advertising, Privacy, Identity Theft, Environmental Sustainability in the Law Office to Data Security Breaches for the Michigan Institute of Continuing Legal Education (ICLE). Most recently, she moderated a panel on “Hot Topics in Environmental Law” at the American Bar Association’s Annual Meeting in San Francisco.
Ms. Rast’s publications include articles for Environmental Compliance and Litigation Strategy (August 1998) and the Institute of Management Consultants USA (March 1999). She was a contributor to ICLE’s Michigan Environmental Law Deskbook, Vols. I-II (1994), and co-authored the annual update on Environmental Law for The Wayne Law Review in 1990. On the business and technology side, she has written articles for Michigan Banker Magazine (April 1997), Detroiter (June 1998), Environmental Compliance and Litigation Strategy (August 1998), the Institute of Management Consultants USA (March 1999), and the Michigan Chamber of Commerce magazine, Michigan Forward (February 2000). She is also a contributing author to ICLE's Advising eBusiness Startups (June 2001), and The Internet & Technology Guide for Michigan Lawyers (ICLE 1996-1999), with licensed editions in California, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Massachusetts, and Illinois. Ms. Rast also co-authored an online course for CPE credit, Trust Services Privacy (IdentiRISK 2004) and CPA’s Guide to Privacy (Bisk Education 2006 & 2011).
Ms. Rast’s memberships include the American Bar Association’s Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources, where she has been involved in the leadership of the Section since 1999, including Chair of the Section in 2008-2009, AnnArbor’s New Enterprise Forum, the Michigan League of Conservation Voters Board of Directors, ICLE’s Technology Training Advisory Board, and the Information Technology Council of the State Bar of Michigan. In 2001, she was the only lawyer named as a Technology Industry Leader in Crain’s Detroit Business, and in 2003 the Ann Arbor Chapter of American Women in Computing named her as one of twenty “Top Michigan Women in Computing.”
Ms. Rast is a graduate of the University of Michigan (B.S., Natural Resources, 1975) and cum laude graduate of the University of Detroit School of Law (1986) where she served as Editor-in-Chief of the University of Detroit Law Review (1985-1986).