Environment

Contacts:
James T. Banks, Washington, D.C.
Christopher Norton, London
Scott H. Reisch, Denver

Our Environment team addresses all aspects of environmental law, including compliance counseling, regulatory and legislative advocacy, litigation, and commercial transactions advice worldwide. The impact of our work has earned us high rankings from Chambers, which notes that our "reputation for environmental matters...has led to the team's practice becoming increasingly international in scope."

Our clients include global leaders in manufacturing, energy, transportation, chemicals and agriculture, as well as state and local governments. With the experience gained from holding high-ranking positions in industry and government, and as litigation counsel, our lawyers are able to provide timely, informed advice. Clients turn to us for guidance in matters involving toxic tort claims, environmental audits, contaminated land liabilities, water and air pollution, product safety controversies, waste management and disposal, regulation of hazardous substances, and habitats and biodiversity.

• Ranked in top tiers for environment nationwide and in the District of Columbia; ranked number 1 in Colorado, Chambers USA (2008-2011)
• Ranked in top tiers for environment nationwide, Legal 500 US (2008-2011)
• Recommended law firm for environment in the District of Columbia, PLC Which Lawyer? (2010)
• Ranked Band 1 for EU regulatory: environment, Legal 500 EMEA (2008–2011)
• Ranked in the top tiers for environment: regulatory, Chambers Europe (2009-2011)
• Recommended law firm for Environment: London and UK-wide, Chambers UK (2009-2011)
• Recommended law firm for Health & Safety, Legal 500 UK (2011) 

Former Leadership Positions

• Patrick Raher, Co-Chairman, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Clean Air Act Subcommittee on New Source Review (NSR) Reform; Co-Chairman, American Bar Association's Committee on Government Attorneys: EPA. The latter committee's work resulted in adoption by the EPA of the first negotiated rulemaking program by any agency.
• Jim Banks, Vice President and General Counsel of one of the world's largest hazardous waste management companies; Senior Attorney and Director of the Clean Water Project for the Natural Resources Defense Council; Advisor to the United States Sentencing Commission on guidelines for sentencing organizations convicted of environmental crimes
• Ken Kastner, Assistant General Counsel, Manufacturing Chemists' Association (now the American Chemistry Council)
• Andy Spielman, Associate Director of the EPA's Office of Sustainable Ecosystems and Communities, Office of Policy Planning and Evaluation; former Special Assistant to the EPA's Deputy Administrator
• Douglas Wheeler, California Secretary for Resources
• Dennis Arfmann, Chair, Denver Regional Air Quality Council
• Jackie Glassman, Acting and Deputy Administrator and Chief Counsel of the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Scott Reisch, Chair, Environmental Section, Colorado Bar Association
• Patrick Traylor, Member, Wind Turbine Guidelines Advisory Committee, U.S. Department of the Interior

Current Leadership Positions

• Andy Spielman, Chair of the Regional Air Quality Council (RAQC); Member, Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission

Representative Clients

• Air Quality Sciences and the Greenguard Environmental Institute
• American Public Power Association
• ATOFINA Chemicals, Inc.
• Charter Communications, Inc.
• City of Charlotte, NC
• Church & Dwight Co., Inc.
• Cinergy Corporation
• Daimler, A.G.
• Detroit Diesel Corporation
• Ecolab, Inc.
• Flexible Packaging Association
• State of Florida
• Ford Motor Company
• Freightliner, LLC
• GATX Corp.
• GE Capital
• GE Railcar Services
• Hercules Incorporated
• Intrepid Potash, Inc.L
• Lockheed Martin Corporation
• Los Alamos National Security, LLC
• Matsushita Electric Corporation of America
• Mercedes Benz US International
• Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC
• Merck & Company, Inc.
• Mitsubishi Motors R&D of America, Inc.
• National Cement Corp.
• Nissan North America
• Nextera Energy Resources
• Occidental Oil & Gas
• PacifiCorp and Mid American Energy Holding Company
• Public Service Electric & Gas
• Railway Supply Institute
• Rexair, LLC
• Rhodia Inc.
• Tyson Foods, Inc.
• Umicore USA, Inc.
• Univar USA Inc.
• Vail Resorts, Inc.
• Xcel Energy