Wilson Elser

Since the first environmental regulatory laws were enacted in the 1970s, Wilson Elser has kept pace with the explosive growth of environmental litigation and regulatory compliance. We provide our clients with sound and uncompromising counsel across a wide variety of related matters, including:

Our attorneys regularly defend parties subject to potentially costly claims and advise on environmental regulations involving both federal and state environmental law.

• Brownfield cleanups and redevelopment of contaminated properties
• The impact of environmental laws on real estate business and lending transactions
• Identifying and pursuing financing programs available to redevelopers of contaminated property in need of remediation
• Transaction-triggered environmental laws
• Due diligence and contractual allocation of environmental risk in transactions
• Disclosure laws and obligations concerning environmental conditions on real property
• Contractual allocations of environmental risks in transactions
• Securing environmental insurance products to protect against cleanup cost overruns and pollution legal liability
• Compliance with state and federal environmental laws and regulatory requirements concerning use, pollution and clean-ups of land, air, water and wetlands, including federal and state “superfund” laws, clean air and clean water acts, waste generation and disposal laws
• Permit requirements under state and local regulatory programs

Our attorneys regularly defend parties subject to these potentially costly claims and advise on environmental regulations involving both federal and state environmental law, such as CERCLA and RCRA. When it helps to advance our clients’ objectives, we also appear before federal, state and local regulatory agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) and others.

Our attorneys and support professionals work nationwide as an integrated team and command the highest respect throughout this field. Extensive trial experience and the benefit of historical perspective give us insight into legacy issues and the foresight to advise on current and emerging environmental issues. Dozens of defense verdicts and appellate wins over the past decade attest to the effectiveness of Wilson Elser litigators.

• In all the key environmental forums, we defend corporations in personal injury, wrongful death and property damage lawsuits – from New York to California to the U.S. Virgin Islands.
• Wilson Elser is highly experienced in the area of environmental coverage litigation. We have achieved significant victories on both the trial and appellate levels in many high-profile, national coverage disputes.
• We serve as national, regional and local defense counsel, handling routine matters with speed and efficiency and not hesitating to try cases in court when it best serves our clients’ interests.
• We simplify scientific concepts so that they can be readily understood and advance – not hamper – litigation objectives.
• We serve on the national trial teams of major manufacturers to develop, cross-examine and present Daubert/Frye challenges of scientific experts in industrial hygiene, occupational and pulmonary medicine, epidemiology, immunology, neurology, pathology, rheumatology, risk assessment and toxicology.

Wilson Elser’s collective and integrated experience with environmental and regulatory issues defines our Environmental practice. Moreover, our service philosophy and in-depth knowledge of environmental litigation combine to bring clarity to this complex area of law and free our clients to focus their energy and resources on advancing their organizations’ objectives.
 

 At Wilson Elser, we believe that cultivating an environment that embraces and promotes diversity is a foundational value, critical to the success of our firm and central to the integrity and vitality of the legal field. Bringing together people of different backgrounds and beliefs, people with diverse perspectives, fosters the innovative and creative thinking that enhances our response to the needs of our clients. Wilson Elser’s commitment to diversity informs our efforts in recruitment, hiring and training as well as the organizations to which we belong and the programs we sponsor.

We believe in creating a work environment free of barriers and bias, where individual outlooks and talents are respected and valued. Our firm’s policy is to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment based on race, color, national origin, religion, age, sex, disability, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by the law. 

Beyond legal compliance, our firm strives to mirror the rich diversity of the communities in which we practice, to respect the diversity of our clients and their workforce and to employ best practices to identify, select, hire, retain and promote qualified individuals without boundaries or limitations, other than those imposed by their own choices and capabilities. This allows us to better represent our clients in today’s diverse, multicultural society. 

Wilson Elser is also committed to promoting diversity through the selection of vendors. We actively seek certified minority- and women-owned businesses and provide them with the opportunity to partner with us to provide services to our firm and our clients.