Environmental laws present complex requirements and hidden risks. Dickstein Shapiro counsels and advises its clients on the environmental aspects of transactions, litigation, and regulatory compliance. Dickstein Shapiro clients include, among others, manufacturers, financial institutions, utilities, and government entities.
The firm structures environmental due diligence in corporate transactions, develops corporate compliance programs, and oversees environmental audits. Dickstein Shapiro attorneys are accustomed to working closely with environmental professionals in analyzing technical issues relating to environmental investigation and remediation; responsible party allocation; permitting, auditing, and compliance; and responding to immediate needs. Dickstein Shapiro provides clients with the experience necessary to resolve issues of potential environmental liability both before and after closing transactions. Among other projects, the firm has initiated a company wide auditing program at facilities around the world, negotiated complicated cost-sharing agreements, carved out potential environmental liability from a number of transactions, shepherded massive multi site energy transactions around potential environmental roadblocks, and assisted in lobbying for changes to make regulation of electric utility units more equitable.
Dickstein Shapiro attorneys have litigated complex environmental cases from pretrial strategy to motions practice to jury trial. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals recently broke new legal ground under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA or Superfund) after briefing and oral argument by firm attorneys. Dickstein Shapiro has succeeded in recovering environmental costs and/or shielding its clients from others’ liability in federal and state courts throughout the country. The firm also has spearheaded litigation on behalf of the state of North Carolina involving environmental impacts on the Roanoke River Basin and was prominently involved in representing plaintiffs in connection with the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Firm attorneys have experience litigating environmental insurance claims, corporate successor and corporate veil-piercing issues, toxic tort cases, cost recovery and contribution actions, claims sounding in contract or tort, and causes of action arising under numerous federal and state environmental statutes.
Here is a more detailed list of just some of the significant areas of Dickstein Shapiro’s environmental law practice: