Brett H. Oberst is Of Counsel in Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher's Los Angeles office. He is a member of the firm's Litigation Department, and the Environmental Litigation and Mass Tort Practice Group.
Mr. Oberst's practice focuses on commercial litigation, with an emphasis in environmental litigation and regulatory practice. His experience includes professional malpractice, business tort claims and general business litigation. He has experience handling complex discovery and motion practice, trial preparation, and post-trial matters. His environmental work focuses on toxic tort litigation, including the legal, regulatory, and scientific issues that arise in the course of defending such claims. His practice also includes litigation and regulatory compliance over environmental contamination and clean-up issues.
Mr. Oberst is a member of the State Bar of California, the Bar of the Central District of California, and the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He received his bachelor of sciences degree from Cornell University in 1994, where he graduated with honors and distinction. He received his law degree from the University of Michigan in 1997, where he graduated cum laude and as a member of the Order of the Coif.
Recent Publications
U.S. Supreme Court Allows Pre-Enforcement Review of Administrative Compliance Orders Issued by EPA Under the Clean Water Act, Client Alert, Mar 23, 2012
A New Guide To Understanding Science In The Courtroom, Article, Jan 9, 2012
EPA's Proposed Emissions Standards for Coal and Oil-Fired Power Plants May Set the Stage for New Toxic Tort Litigation over Exposures to Hexavalent Chromium and Other Chemicals, Client Alert, May 2, 2011
A New (and Old) Twist on Preemption - the Regulatory Compliance Defense, Article, May 13, 2010
EPA Proposes Significant New Use Rule For Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes, Client Alert, Mar 1, 2010
Obama and EPA Take on TSCA Reform, Article, Feb 2, 2010
Nanotechnology Regulation: A Small Reminder to Look Before You Leap, Article, Dec 1, 2009
EPA Withdraws Significant New Use Rules for Carbon Nanotubes Over Adverse Comments, Client Alert, Sep 24, 2009
California's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) Proposes New, More Stringent, Drinking Water Standard for Hexavalent Chromium, Client Alert, Aug 21, 2009
U.S. Supreme Court Addresses Availability of Cost-Benefit Analysis in Environmental Laws, Article, Jul 1, 2009
The Intersection of CPISA and Wyeth, Article, May 6, 2009
Limited Participation by Industry in Voluntary EPA Program on Nanomaterials Prompts EPA Regulatory Decision by End of Year, Client Alert, Apr 28, 2009
Federal Court in District of Columbia Finds EPA's Administration of Section 106 of CERCLA Not a Violation of Due Process, Client Alert, Feb 6, 2009
EPA Opens Public Comment Period Concerning Nanotechnology Regulation, Client Alert, Dec 9, 2008
Precaution In Applying The Precautionary Principle, Article, Nov 26, 2008
U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico Affirms "But For" Test Is Required to Prove Causation in Toxic Tort Lawsuit, Client Alert, Nov 3, 2008
Federal Court Rules That Punitive Damages May Be Recovered By A Public Water District As A Result Of Groundwater Contamination, Client Alert, Oct 14, 2008
Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals Clarifies the Reach of Federal Jurisdiction for "Mass Actions" Under The Federal Class Action Fairness Act, Client Alert, Aug 12, 2008
House Passes Bill to Impose Stricter Regulations on Consumer Products, Client Alert, Jul 31, 2008
Rhode Island Supreme Court Rejects Use of Public Nuisance Theories for Allegedly Defective Products, Client Alert, Jul 3, 2008
The Ninth Circuit Holds That Potentially Responsible Parties May Seek Cost Recovery Under Section 107(a) of CERCLA (Kotrous v. Bayer CropScience, Inc., et al.), Client Alert, Apr 21, 2008
From Pharmaceutical To Groundwater Contaminant: Perchlorate Gets A Raw Deal, Article, Oct 19, 2007
The National Toxicology Program Releases Draft Report Linking Hexavalent Chromium in Drinking Water to Cancer in Animals, Client Alert, May 1, 2007
Perchlorate: Political Rocket Fuel, Article, Feb 28, 2007