Most Highly Regarded Firms: California 2009 - Environment
The Schwarzenegger administration leads the US in environmental policy-making.
In September 2008 Governor Schwarzenegger approved the country's first "green chemistry" legislation, which seeks to eliminate hazardous chemicals in industrial production and to create methods for analysing alternatives to existing toxic substances. These measures are the latest in a long procession of groundbreaking statutes that are reshaping the economic landscape in one of the most polluted regions in the United States. As the state's legal framework expands, so too does the Environmental Bar: with 51 nominees from 28 firms included, this is one of the most populous chapters in the current edition.
Latham & Watkins LLP is the best-represented firm in the state for environmental work, with seven nominees appearing. Co-chair of the firm's climate change practice group Robert Wyman was described as "among the best" by one source. Wyman's reputation as a "leading air quality practitioner" is confirmed by our findings, and he also demonstrates "excellent" expertise in regulatory, judicial and legislative matters within the energy and transportation industries. Also considered "one of the deans" for air quality regulation is Gene Lucero. Lucero is deputy chair of the firm's global environment, land and resource department, and has represented the Walt Disney Company and various clients in the Puente Valley Operable Unit in groundwater contamination cases as well as acting as lead environmental counsel to Playa Capital Company in mixed-use project development. Land use expert Michael Feeley acts as general outside counsel to numerous corporations, counselling on green compliance, contaminated land and risk-transfer issues. Paul Singarella has also represented Playa Capital, and came particularly well recommended for his water quality, rights, wetlands and hydrology work. Singarella has argued cases before the State Water Resources Control Board, the California Coastal Commission, US EPA and US Army Corps, and also counts Universal Studios, General Motors and Sempra among his clients. The "great" Bruce Howard has worked as lead environmental counsel for World Oil for the past 10 years, handling air permitting, water and waste discharge regulations and pipeline projects, and he also represents BP, Rosen Electric and Home Depot. James Arnone specialises in land use issues and co-chairs the firm's environmental litigation practice group, acting in high-controversy real estate developments and local government-related disputes. Michael Carroll completes the firm's unrivalled showing in this chapter. A "power expert", Carroll has represented Hydrogen Energy LLC, Nextlight Renewable Power and Inland Energy in recent power plant project developments.
Three attorneys are listed from Bingham McCutchen LLP including the "truly outstanding" James Dragna, who represents energy, aerospace and manufacturing clients including Exxon Mobil, Allegheny Technologies and Shell as well as the Port and City of Los Angeles. Considered "one of the founders of the California Environment Bar" Edward Strohbehn helped establish the Natural Resources Defence Counsel and focuses his practice on environmental compliance, permitting and business planning as well as compliance and enforcement issues. Rick Rothman is chair of the firm's environmental practice group and counsels clients on regulations arising from air and water quality statutes, power plant siting law and the handling of hazardous substances.
Patrick Dennis chairs the environmental and natural resources practice group at Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP and was praised for his litigation expertise, which has seen him represent Occidental Petroleum and Lockheed Martin in toxic tort litigation. Jeffrey Dintzer also boasts a "top of the line" environmental litigation practice, representing clients in land use and toxic tort class actions as well as private cost recovery litigation in state and federal courts. Another "top name" at the firm is Thomas McHenry, whose practice encompasses air quality, hazardous waste, environmental diligence, land use and energy issues.
Morrison & Foerster LLP also fields three representatives in this chapter including the "very well-known and respected" Michèle Corash. A founding member of the environmental section of the Inter-Pacific Bar Association, Corash's clients include companies in the food and beverage, electronics, land development and petrochemical industries, and she has worked with government agencies on the drafting and implementation of environmental legislation. Peter Hsiao is head of the firm's land use and environmental law group in Los Angeles, and is considered "one of the best" in the state for environmental litigation and chemical regulations. Hsiao's recent engagements include Environmental World Watch v Diesel Engine Manufacturers and Waste Management v East Bay Regional Park District and has acted as outside counsel for Mattel and lead counsel for 3M in environmental matters. Also prominently placed in our research is Robert Falk who specialises in water quality, toxic tort, superfund and class action litigation and chairs the firm-wide land use and environmental group.
Farella Braun + Martel LLP is considered "a great firm" for environmental work and three of its partners are listed in this section. Described as "first class" by peers, James Bruen represents private companies, universities and government institutions in complex environmental counselling and litigation, and his recent engagements have included litigation in mass tort, natural resource damage, enforcement, and environmental cost recovery and contribution cases. Robert Hines represents clients in state and federal superfund actions, natural resource damage claims and air and water quality actions, for which he has developed "an excellent reputation" state-wide. Paul Spaulding brings over 25 years of environmental litigation and counselling experience to the table, acting as head of the firm's natural resource group and maintaining a "very active practice" in the defence and prosecution of citizen lawsuits brought under federal environmental laws.
Alston & Bird LLP enjoys an "excellent reputation" among the lawyers we spoke to, and three attorneys are included in this chapter from the firm. Sharon Rubalcava is "one of the best in the state for air work" according to one source, and she specialises in advising clients on air, water and toxic emissions compliance issues. Also highly regarded at the firm is Kurt Weissmuller whose practice involves handling superfund, waste, air and water matters for numerous clients in the energy, chemical and aerospace industries. Peter Nyquist focuses his practice on the investigation, cleanup and redevelopment of contaminated sites, including brownfields development toxic tort investigation and vapour intrusion, and he also achieves a prominent place in our listings.
San Francisco environmental law boutique Barg Coffin Lewis & Trapp proved a popular name in California, with three of its named partners earning places in this section. John Barg has over 30 years of criminal and civil trial experience and focuses on complex litigation arising from toxic tort, cost recovery class actions, Clean Air and Clean Water Act cases and environmental insurance coverage. Richard Coffin is "a premier name" at the firm, specialising in the defence of environmental enforcement, toxic tort and groundwater contamination suits. Stephen Lewis also focuses on tort and groundwater suits, as well as representing numerous manufacturers of chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and machinery in environmental disputes and arbitrations.
Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis LLP fields two attorneys in this chapter: James Meeder and Robert Wyatt. Meeder was praised as "outstanding" by peers for his litigation work, which has seen him argue complex criminal and civil environmental cases involving soil and groundwater contamination, hazardous waste disposal, land use, contract disputes and toxic torts. Wyatt focuses on environmental compliance counselling, including permit acquisition, due diligence and brownfields regulatory clearances for companies in the real estate, pharmaceutical, mining, chemical and electronics industries.
Two attorneys also feature from Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, including the "great" Michael Barr. Described by one source as "a giant in the field", Barr's primary focus is the energy industry, where he advises clients on air quality law and other commercial and regulatory matters, as well as counselling chemical manufacturers, food producers, mining companies and manufacturing industry concerns. Joining Barr is Margaret Rosegay, who specialises in solid and hazardous waste regulation, remediation in soil and groundwater contamination cases and brownfields redevelopment.
Stanley Landfair emerged as "a leading name" at McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP, where he focuses on counselling companies in compliance issues with particular emphasis on the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act and the Toxic Substances Control Act. Christian Volz is also included, earning recognition for his environmental litigation for aerospace and defence, high-tech, natural resource and chemical companies.
Trenton Norris heads the San Francisco office of Arnold & Porter LLP, providing environmental litigation in complex scientific and technical disputes on behalf of manufacturers, distributors and retailers. He is joined by Karen Nardi, who was described as "top tier" by sources. Her practice encompasses Brownfields, hazardous and radioactive waste and environmental insurance work.
At Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP Robert Uram is a prominent name and was praised for his work within the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, the California Surface Mining and Reclamation Act and the wetland provisions of the Clean Water Act. Uram is a founding member of the firm's organic food and fibre practice group and advised the Organic Trade Association on the rulemaking that led to the natural organic programme. Also highly nominated is Randolph Visser, co-founder of the firm's global climate change team, who specialises in air quality, environmental compliance, government contracts counselling and environmental enforcement defence litigation.
John Cermak of Baker & Hostetler LLP is "well known and well respected" in California for his environmental counselling and litigation. Cermak has litigated toxic tort suits and Clean Water Act pre-treatment penalty actions as well as counselling clients in air and water quality legislation, solid and hazardous waste disposal and land use issues. Gregory McClintock joined Akermann Senterfitt from Mayer Brown in 2007 and is the firm's sole representative in this chapter. McClintock combines his environmental practice with expertise in the real estate, trade regulation and antitrust sectors and counts Lockheed Martin, Mobil Oil and McDonnell Douglas among his clients. Jennifer Hernandez co-chairs the national environment practice group of Holland & Knight LLP, where she is considered "great for land use". Hernandez is currently engaged in numerous brownfields projects, including three on military bases, as well as biotechnology and industrial expansion projects.
A specialist in Proposition 65 defence and compliance, Judith Praitis ranks highly in our research. A partner in the Los Angeles office of Sidley Austin LLP, Praitis focuses on all aspects hazardous waste management, site remediation and brownfields work for a variety of clients and industries, including aerospace, petroleum, shipping and chemical companies. Nicholas Yost of Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP was described as "one of the leading National Environmental Policy Act lawyers in California" by one source and received several nominations. Yost has advised companies on environmental policy in land developments, international and interstate natural gas pipelines, electrical power plants, highway, bridge, and light rail projects, and Indian gaming and other facilities. Gregory Trimarche at Bryan Cave LLP is held in "high regard" by his peers, and serves as head of the litigation practice group in the firm's Irvine office. Trimarche has a national reputation for the cleanup, transfer and redevelopment of brownfield sites, performing environmental due diligence for real estate investors, developers and lenders, and creating environmental risk management plans.
Craig Moyer at Manatt Phelps & Phillips LLP was highly nominated for his clean air, clean water, hazardous waste and environmental permitting work. Moyer also has extensive experience of advising energy clients in the environmental compliance issues arising from project developments.
Deborah Schmall is also noted for her compliance counselling, advising petroleum companies, life sciences companies, universities, developers, telecommunications companies and transportation companies. The Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker LLP partner also focuses on brownfield projects, including the redevelopment of former federal facilities, and represention of buyers, sellers, and investors in real property acquisitions and divestitures and in corporate mergers, and is considered a "premier" attorney among her peers.
San Francisco boutique The Arnold Law Practice fields one representative in this chapter: founding partner James Arnold. Arnold focuses his practice on brownfields projects, air pollution suits, groundwater contamination and wetlands protection, and is was described as "excellent" by respondents to our survey.
The "outstanding" José Allen represents Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP in this section, and received recognition for his toxic tort litigation work. Allen's recent successes include representing the prevailing private company in United States v Montrose Chemical Corporation, State of California v Alva-Amco and American Environmental Safety Institute v Mars. Gary Smith of Beveridge & Diamond PC has a "leading" litigation practice, which has seen him act in multi-party superfund proceedings, as well as groundwater contamination and consumer class actions. Hanna and Morton LLP boasts the inclusion of Larry Gutteridge, whose practice encompasses superfund, brownfields litigation and Proposition 65 compliance advice.
Michael Zischke at Cox Castle & Nicholson LLP was described as a "leader" in land use matters and ranks very highly in our research. Clifton McFarland of Downey Brand Attorneys LLP was also frequently mentioned by respondents who praised his groundwater contamination, toxic tort litigation and hazardous waste work. Thomas McMahon is a member of Howrey LLP's insurance coverage group and brings this experience to bear in counselling companies on environmental costs and claims.