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John Kolaga

Partner

Buffalo

Phone: 716.854.3400 x239

Fax: 716.332.0336

Email: kolaga@rupppfalzgraf.com

Practice Areas

Environmental - Practice Area Leader

Project Development, Land Use & Energy

Real Estate

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about me

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credentials & achievements

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professional Focus

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affiliations

significant matters

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insights

About Me

What John loves about project development and environmental law is that it's not just the physical environment that's constantly evolving — the political environment, business environment, and social environment are all changing every day. These are some of the factors he balances as he litigates construction and development and environmental law issues, whether he is negotiating consent orders or settlement agreements with regulators, advising clients and colleagues on due diligence issues in the cases of acquisition or sale, or counseling clients on legal developments related to topics such as biosolids and brownfields.

Credentials & Achievements

Education:

University at Buffalo School of Law, J.D.

Canisius College, B.A.

Admissions:

New York 

United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of New York

United States Court of Appeals Second Circuit

United States District Court for the Southern District of New York

United States District Court for the Western District of New York

Achievements:

The Best Lawyers in America®, 2025-2026

Upstate New York Super Lawyers, 2011–2014, 2024-2025

Legal Elite, Buffalo Business First and the Buffalo Law Journal, 2013, 2014

Who’s Who in Law, Buffalo Business First and the Buffalo Law Journal, 2012

William Faust Award for Distinguished Service to the Air & Waste Management Association, Niagara Frontier Section, 2006

Professional Focus

Industries Served:

  • Energy, Environment & Sustainability
  • Construction & Real Estate

Affiliations

  • Elmwood Village Association, Member

  • Erie County Bar Association, Environmental Law Committee Member

  • Legal Aid Bureau, Board of Directors

  • Literacy New York Buffalo-Niagara, Inc., Basic Literacy Tutor

  • New York State Bar Association, Environmental Law Section Member

  • Torn space Theatre, Board of Directors

Significant Matters

Media