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David A. Crass

By: WISCONSIN LAW JOURNAL STAFF//May 25, 2009//

David A. Crass

By: WISCONSIN LAW JOURNAL STAFF//May 25, 2009//

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David A. Crass
David A. Crass

“I know of no pursuit in which more real and important services can be rendered to any country than by improving its agriculture.” — George Washington

David Crass, who grew up on a dairy farm, couldn’t agree more.

Crass, an environmental lawyer and general counsel to the Dairy Business Association of Wisconsin, has donated his time and energy to advance that organization’s interests for many years now. It’s one of several agriculture-related industry groups in which Crass plays a substantial role.

Agriculture, he says, “is an industry that’s an economic driver for the upper Midwest, that we sometimes turn our backs on, in the sense that high-tech industries might have more appeal to some as we get farther removed from people having farming backgrounds. But we’re feeding the world in the upper Midwest, and it’s an extraordinarily important function.”

Crass chairs the Agribusiness, Food Processing and Distribution Practice, and is regarded as a leader within its Renewable Energy Practice as well, at Michael Best & Friedrich LLP in Madison.
He came there directly after graduation at the University of Wisconsin Law School.

Crass represents businesses in compliance matters. The other half of his practice is dedicated to helping businesses focused on renewable energy opportunities; some are biofuel companies, while others are companies that wish to convert biomass into green power, for example.

One of most satisfying aspects of his job is he helps shape compromises that also help bring about a sustainable result. He additionally admires his clients. “Without fail, I am uniformly impressed with how much they care about the environment. That’s the great untold story.

People have this notion that corporate America is unconcerned about the environment; nothing could be further from the truth.”

On that note, Crass adds that businesses are going green and his office is no exception.

Crass managed the Madison MBF office for a number of years and is very proud of how it has embraced the green movement.

Crass characterizes himself as a “practical environmentalist.”

“I think we have to be realistic about what we want to accomplish and how quickly we can accomplish it. There are two paths to get to the right result; one inflicts pain, while the other basically says, ‘We’re going to be doing better with the environment with each generation, without completely collapsing our economy.”

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