Gene Schmittgens has, for over forty years, represented clients in a wide range of environmental law issues, including compliance, enforcement, including administrative litigation, insurance, permitting, transportation requirements and transactional issues arising out of the sale of real estate and businesses. His current practice focuses primarily on transactional issues.

He is a frequent lecturer and author on a wide variety of environmental issues. Mr. Schmittgens is a current member and past chair of the Illinois State Bar Association's Environmental Law Section Council, as well as the past Chair of the Association’s Business Advice Section Council. He has been active in several other environmental law committees of various bar associations and civic groups, including as a former Chair of the Environmental Transactions and Brownfields sub-committee of the Section of Environment, Energy and Resources of the American Bar Association and a former Chair of the Environmental Committee of the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis.

Gene has been selected by his peers for inclusion in several Editions of Best Lawyers in America for environmental law. He also was an Assistant Adjunct Professor at Saint Louis University of Law where he taught a course on Environmental Due Diligence.

EDUCATION

St. Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri
1982, Juris Doctorate

University of Missouri-St. Louis
2014, MS (Political Science, With Honors)

MacMurray College, Jacksonville, Illinois
1979, Bachelor of Science (Political Science, with honors; Sociology)

LICENSES:
State of Missouri
Federal District Court, Eastern District of Missouri
Federal Circuit Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit
State of Illinois
Federal District Court, Central District of Illinois
United States Supreme Court

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Missouri Bar Association                                
Member, Environmental Law Committee                 

Illinois State Bar Association
Member, Environmental Law Section Council (Chair 2006- 2007)
(Vice Chair 2005 – 2006)                                        
(Secretary 2004 – 2005)                                                    
Member, Business Advice Section Council                     
(Secretary 2013-2014)
(Vice Chair 2014-2015)
(Chair 2015-2016)                                     

American Bar Association
Member, Section on Natural Resources,
Energy and Environmental Law

Member, Environmental Transactions and Brownfields Subcommittee
(Vice Chair Programs 2013 – 2016)
(Chair 2016-2018)

Co-chair, Special Committee on State Bar Coordination and Engagement (2018-2019)
Section Council (2020-2023)
Section Council Committee Liaison Coordinator (2023-2025)
Program Chair, 55th Annual Spring Conference, Minneapolis (April 2026)
Chair, Governance Committee (2025-2026)

Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis                                  
Member, Environmental Law Committee
(Chair, 1997 – 2000; 2009 – 2012; 2016)
(Chair, Young Lawyers’ Section Environmental
Law Committee, 1991 – 1993)

Regional Chamber and Growth Association
(Chair, Environmental Law Section Council, 2001)