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Find Lawyers in America for Environmental Law
Practice Area Overview
Environmental law involves an intricate matrix of federal and state public welfare statutes enacted to protect both human health and our natural resources. The economic and socio-geopolitical impact of these laws requires the practice of environmental law to continuously evolve. Areas of environmental law include the following:
Regulatory
The input and experience of an environmental lawyer is crucial in designing, supporting, and auditing environmental compliance systems. Environmental lawyers often participate in the administrative process on the federal and state level to encourage sound rulemaking. They also assist clients in sorting through regulatory ambiguities, which sometimes arise in enforcement proceedings.
Litigation
Environmental litigation occurs at both the civil and criminal level. Enforcement proceedings with federal and state regulators are conducted through either administrative adjudications or in court. Most federal environmental statutes have citizen suit provisions allowing individuals to initiate enforcement litigation on behalf of the government. Suits contesting environmental permits and siting decisions occur frequently and can cause significant delays for projects. Superfund designations are a source of significant litigation, particularly in the cost recovery area. Other areas of environmental litigation include: toxic torts, natural resource damages, water rights disputes, brownfields, endangered species challenges, climate change, and groundwater contamination suits.
Business Transactions
Environmental laws can significantly impact the economics of an M&A or real property transaction. If a facility does not have the entitlements to operate; has an expensive compliance issue that must be remedied; or has significant cleanup liability, it can materially alter the viability and/or structure of a deal. Clients depend on environmental lawyers to establish deal parameters and translate risks into economic terms for the valuation process.
Strategic Corporate Planning
Depending on how environmental regulations develop, a company could gain a significant economic advantage over its competitors. Evolving regulation in areas such greenhouse gas emissions have the potential of altering the business model of some companies, while creating growth opportunities for others.
Corporate Governance
Events such as the Deepwater Horizon accident are redefining the roles of senior executives and boards of directors. There is a new wave of internal controls that many corporations are implementing in response to regulatory and shareholder influence.
Crisis Management
An environmental crisis such as an oil spill, toxic leak, or refinery explosion can be a defining moment in the history of a corporation. When a crisis hits, all aspects of environmental law come into play and requires experienced, clear-eyed counsel to help corporations, municipalities, and other impacted entities to successfully respond to and emerge from such an event.
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State
A former deputy general counsel of the Florida Department of Environmental Regulation (now DEP), Silvia Alderman is the chair of Akerman’s Water Task Force, a team of multidisciplinary legal professionals and consultants advising on the regulatory and environmental challenges facing our clients. Recognized by Chambers USA , Silvia is praised for her “wealth of knowledge representing utilities” as well as being “very strong on administrative law.” Silvia represent...
John Allen practices environmental law with a focus on complex litigation. John has represented the State of Georgia as a Special Assistant Attorney General since 2005 in litigation and regulatory matters related to the disputes among Georgia, Alabama, Florida, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers concerning operation of federal reservoirs and state water rights, including equitable apportionment litigation before the U.S. Supreme Court. John has represented local governments in state court l...
Joshua M. Alper is a partner in the firm's Real Estate Department and co-chair of the firm's Environmental Law Group. Josh is interested in tangible results, problem solving, and effecting sustainable change, crafting practical, creative, and flexible solutions to challenges posed by transactions and disputes. He practices primarily in the areas of commercial real estate, environmental and zoning matters, and all aspects of land use development. Josh is the Editor of Massachusetts Continuing ...
Fredric P. Andes is a partner in the Chicago and Washington, D.C., offices of Barnes & Thornburg and the leader of the firm's water team. Fred is involved in counseling and litigation on issues arising under various federal and state environmental laws, with a special emphasis on Clean Water Act matters. Fred is also advising trade associations, industries, and municipalities on TMDLs, permits, and other water quality matters on the state and federal levels, including development of water...
Doug Arnold is Co-Chair of the firm’s Environment, Land Use & Natural Resources Group. He has over 20 years of experience representing clients in environmental litigation, enforcement, and compliance matters. Doug also has client relationship responsibility for Electrolux North America, as well as for the firm’s environmental work for United Parcel Service, Inc. Doug is listed in Chambers USA , The Best Lawyers in America , and The International Who's Who of Environmental Lawy...
Area of Emphasis Chip Babst is Chairman of the Firm and is a member of the Environmental and Energy and Natural Resources groups. Mr. Babst has more than 40 years of experience in providing counsel on environmental matters to both private and public clients. Mr. Babst is a nationally-recognized authority on Clean Air Act issues and has handled complex permitting and compliance issues at federal, state and local levels throughout the United States. His experience in dealing with federal and st...
Dan Bailey has more than 25 years of experience in environmental, land use, real estate, and municipal law. He prides himself on offering pragmatic solutions to complicated legal matters. While Dan’s “sweet spot” is the redevelopment of commercial property, he has a strong background in all aspects of environmental and regulatory law. Dan also handles all types of real estate transactions. Dan has helped facilitate development of a wide range of commercial real estate projec...
Environmental lawyer Jennifer Baker guides commercial and industrial clients and landowners through virtually all phases of remediation projects and environmental litigation. She assists clients in resolving their contaminated site issues, as well as provides strategic, cost-effective approaches to addressing potential and existing environmental liabilities and demands. Jennifer practices as part of the firm’s Environmental Department, which has been frequently recognized as Tier 1 for ...
Marty Banks is a partner of Stoel Rives’ Environmental Law practice group and Litigation practice group. His environmental practice includes counseling clients in cost-effective regulatory compliance and permitting strategies. He has broad experience with issues involving the Clean Air Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water Act, the Administrative Procedures Act and the clean-up and transfer of contaminated properties. Martin’s busi...
Cecily Barclay focuses her practice on land use and entitlements, real estate acquisition and development and local government law. She regularly assists landowners, developers and public agencies throughout Northern California in all aspects of acquisition, entitlement and development of land, including land use application processing, drafting and negotiating purchase and sale agreements, negotiating and securing the approval of development agreements, general plan amendments, specific plan...
Rita Bolt Barker is a veteran litigator and counselor with experience in environmental, commercial litigation, and insurance coverage matters. Environmental Rita has broad experience helping clients navigate the wide range of laws that protect our natural resources. She is a trusted, reliable partner for business and individuals who need a steady guide through the ins and outs of environmental compliance and litigation. Rita delivers results for clients who need assistance in investigating an...
Kerri L. Barsh represents public and private clients on an array of environmental regulatory, permitting and litigation matters, including transactional support and due diligence, environmental assessment and liability matters, energy and infrastructure projects, wetlands and coastal permitting, complex land use projects, air quality matters, hazardous materials contamination, and other compliance and enforcement cases.
H.S. Bartlett III ("Tad") heads up Fishman Haygood's Appellate Practice Section, as well as practicing more broadly in the firm's Litigation Section. Tad joined Fishman Haygood as special counsel after practicing in a diverse range of legal areas for more than twenty years. He first practiced under the Louisiana student practice rule in 1999 as a member of the Tulane Environmental Law Clinic, before graduating magna cum laude and Order of the Coif from Tulane Law School in 2000. While at Tula...
Rodd has concentrated on brownfield transactions and compliance counseling across a variety of regulatory programs since joining the firm in 1997. He has extensive experience structuring environmental due diligence for real estate and business transactions, negotiating environmental provisions in transactional documents, and advising developers on satisfying state and federal cleanup programs and property transfer laws consistent with business objectives. For brownfield projects Rodd has nego...
Jeffrey has practiced land use and zoning law for over 35 years, and also has practiced in the fields of real estate law and litigation, earning recognition for himself and the firm he co-founded in 1996 with Michael Radell. As one of the most prominent attorneys in his field, Jeffrey represents real estate developers, landowners, institutional clients, lenders and other property owners. His practice covers all aspects of local, state and federal real estate permitting and licensing, includin...
Thomas (Tom) Berger’s practice is based on an in-depth understanding of and experience with the chemicals, plastics, and electronics industries. As a preeminent practitioner with over 30 years of experience, Tom helps clients commercialize new chemical products and preserve supply chains for existing chemical products utilizing an interdisciplinary team approach combining law and science, with an emphasis on emerging technologies in the industrial and consumer chemicals areas. Tom&rsquo...
Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Partner of Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®), has earned an international reputation for her deep and expansive understanding of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), the European Union Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation, and especially how these regulatory programs pertain to nanotechnology, industrial biotechnology, synthetic biology,...
Chris Berka is a nationally recognized trial lawyer with a practice focusing on environmental, real estate, energy, natural resources, product liability and contract matters. He has resolved more than two hundred cases for clients in a range of industries and sectors, including technology, aerospace, oil and natural gas, wind energy, real estate development, pharmaceuticals, higher education, transportation, news media, mining and consumer products. In addition to his litigation practice, Chr...
Eric D. Bernheim is one of Fairfield County’s most sought-after real estate attorneys. Eric represents prominent developers, landlords, tenants, and lenders in transactions of all kinds, including acquisitions, dispositions, leases, and financing. He also handles zoning and land use matters. Eric’s clients range from national hospitality groups to local businesses, developers, municipalities, and individuals, providing sound counsel for all of their real estate and business-relate...
Sean W. Bezark focuses his practice primarily on environmental matters for public corporations, privately held companies, banks, lenders, REITs and private equity investment funds. He advises clients on environmental aspects of corporate and real estate transactions, bankruptcy cases, environmental investigations and remediation projects, brownfields development, insurance procurement and risk and cost allocations. He also counsels clients on legal and technical aspects of complex contaminati...
Alan N. Bick is the co-managing partner of Bick Law LLP. Alan is a former partner of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP where he practiced environmental law for over 25 years and was co-chair of the Environmental Practice Group. Alan has extensive experience in cost recovery actions under CERCLA, RCRA, and the state equivalents; defense of agency enforcement actions; mass and toxic tort defense; natural resource damage actions; CEQA, NEPA and ESA litigation. He also advises clients on environmen...
Greg represents industrial and trade association clients in environmental law and policy matters, including related civil litigation and enforcement issues in state and federal courts. Clients turn to Greg to handle the range of issues related to hazardous waste compliance and policy at the federal and state levels. His more than 35 years of experience include work for retail chains, including pharmacies, on hazardous waste issues. Trade association and industrial clients include Claxton Poul...
Area of Emphasis Don Bluedorn’s practice focuses primarily on water and wastewater management, site remediation/ brownfields, and hazardous and non-hazardous waste issues. Because of the technical nature of both the subject matter and his education, Mr. Bluedorn typically works closely with the client, technical consultants, and engineers during all phases of a project’s development. This team approach has been very successful with state and federal regulatory agencies in a number...
Steven P. Bogart is a shareholder in the Litigation Practice at Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren sc where he counsels and represents clients in commercial litigation, environmental litigation and insurance coverage matters. Steve's clients include municipalities, financial institutions and large manufacturers. Steve draws on over three decades of professional experience to achieve the best legal and business results for his clients, whether through out-of-court settlement, mediation, arbitration o...
John Boyd chairs Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd’s Environmental Group and practices in the areas of environmental, regulatory, administrative and general corporate law in Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd’s Columbia office. John's environmental practice includes permitting, enforcement, due diligence and risk assessment, real estate transactions, environmental audits, voluntary cleanup contracts, brownfield redevelopment and traditional issues surrounding toxic substances, hazardous and solid wast...
Companies rely on Meaghan Boyd to develop their complex environmental and toxic tort litigation defense strategy. She also guides companies through the hoops of compliance with federal statutes such as CERCLA, the Clean Water Act, and RCRA and their state counterparts. Meaghan is co-chair of Alston & Bird’s Environment, Land Use & Natural Resources Group. She defends companies in complex environmental and toxic tort litigation in federal and state courts. She also routinely coun...
Susan E. Brice is a bold litigator, advocate, and advisor with 30 years of experience specializing in environmental law, toxic tort, and product liability defense work. After departing Big Law, where she served in leadership roles, she joined Nijman Franzetti LLP, an all-women owned business savvy boutique in 2020. Over the years, she has worked on significant matters involving at least nineteen states and the Virgin Islands. She has experience in all major aspects of environmental law, takin...
Mike Brown is the head of the Real Estate Litigation Team at the firm. Mike is a member of the firm’s Environmental and Toxic Tort Practice Group and the General Litigation Practice Group. Mike’s emphasis in both practice groups is on real property and land use matters. Because of this emphasis in his practice, Mike also works very closely with the Real Estate Group. For the past several years, Mike has served as an adjunct Professor at the University of Alabama School of Law wher...
Area of Emphasis Lisa Bruderly is a shareholder and past chair of the Environmental Group of Babst Calland. She is also a member of the Firm’s Energy and Natural Resources Group. Ms. Bruderly primarily focuses on regulatory issues associated with water resources, wastewater/stormwater management, compliance auditing, site assessments and remediation, including state voluntary remediation programs. As a former environmental consultant and environmental auditor for a large natural gas tra...
Marc Bruner is a partner with the firm's Environment, Energy & Resources practice. Marc represents governmental entities and private companies in a wide variety of environmental, land use, and natural resource matters. He counsels clients on formulating long-term development strategies, preparing and processing environmental studies and land use plans, and obtaining the necessary federal, state and local permits and approvals for a broad range of private and public development projects &n...
Boyd Bryan is a partner in the Corporate Practice Group. He focuses on environmental law matters, including regulatory compliance, permitting, defense of enforcement actions, environmental aspects of transactions and financing, project development, and environmental litigation. Boyd represents industrial and commercial clients in a wide range of environmental matters, drawing on decades of experience in the environmental field. His experience includes: Regulatory compliance advice, including ...
Heather represents property owners and developers in all phases of real estate development, from pre-acquisition due diligence through local permitting and appeals. Heather has represented development clients on land use matters in jurisdictions across the state of Washington, successfully permitting and defending a variety of large residential, commercial, and industrial projects. Heather also represents property owners, businesses, and individuals in permitting and zoning regulatory matters...
OVERVIEW Trevor practices in the areas of environmental and natural resources compliance, permitting, and litigation. Trevor advises clients on a variety of environmental topics, including federal, state, and local air programs; stormwater and SPCC compliance; and waste and hazardous waste management. Trevor has worked on various environmental issues in administrative appeals and in state and federal courts, as well as advised local administrative boards during appeals. Trevor also assists cl...
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