drugh@firmspf.com
(802) 660-2555
Areas of Practice
- Municipal Law
- Environmental Law
- Land Use and Zoning Law
- Real Estate
Education
- Vermont Law School, South Royalton, VT, 2004 J.D.
Honors: Cum Laude - Note Editor, Vermont Law Review 2003-2004
- Author: Note, Clearer, but Still Toxic Skies,
28 Vt. L. Rev. 201 (2003) - Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 2001 B.A.
Bar Admissions
- Court of Appeals of Maryland, 2004
- Vermont Supreme Court, 2005
- U.S. District Court, District of Vermont, 2006
Joined SP&F
- 2010
Shareholder
David W. Rugh’s experience navigating Vermont’s complex regulatory environment assists the Firm in providing a broad range of services to its local government, institutional and educational clients. He is well-versed in addressing real estate, environmental, and zoning and land use permitting issues and in litigating commercial, land development and real estate disputes in Vermont’s state and federal courts. David also serves the Firm’s public clients by managing complex financial, real estate and environmental permitting transactions, including low-income and senior housing projects funded with community development block grants; flood hazard mitigation property acquisitions; “brownfield” and contaminated property redevelopment; road, stormwater and other infrastructure improvement projects; agricultural, forest and open space conservation ventures; and recreational trail and land trust acquisitions.
Prior to joining SP&F, David was associated with another Burlington law firm, where he counseled private clients in environmental, zoning and land use permitting and in commercial litigation. Before moving to private practice, he served as a law clerk to the Honorable Merideth Wright and the Honorable Thomas S. Durkin at the Vermont Environmental Court.
“Our goal is to build better communities by providing our local government, educational and institutional clients with comprehensive solutions to complex issues. I take pride in the fact that the results of my work are often tangible and are reflected in the development of new community or institutional buildings, the creation of new parks or green space, the redevelopment of former industrial sites, the preservation of new natural areas or agricultural lands or the construction of community recreation facilities, such as recreation paths, mountain bike parks or community sledding hills.”
David received his J.D., cum laude, from Vermont Law School in 2004, where he was a Note Editor for the Vermont Law Review and a member of the Moot Court Advisory Board. In 2001, David received his bachelor’s degree in American History from Northwestern University.
David is a member of the Vermont Planners Association Executive Committee, as well as the American Bar Association, the Vermont Bar Association and the Chittenden County Bar Association. From 2012 to 2014, David served as the American Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division District 1 Representative, representing the young lawyers divisions of both the Vermont and Maine Bar Associations.