Environmental Law
We represent clients in complex environmental litigation, advocating urgently to protect communities, defend ecosystems, and promote clean air and water.
90%
70%
8M MT
1°C
pre-industrial times, and just 0.5°C more can significantly exacerbate risks of drought, floods, and extreme heat.
Every year, deforestation claims 10 million hectares for farming and logging, with even more lost to mismanagement, illegal operations, and intentional destruction like arson.
The dire need for climate action is clear as we confront unprecedented challenges: the atmosphere is burdened with gigatons of carbon emissions, sea levels rise threatening coastal communities, and vital ecosystems face the relentless threat of industrial pollution.
Our Environmental Law practice stands at the forefront, leveraging litigation to compel corporate responsibility, pushing for robust environmental regulation, championing renewable energy, safeguarding natural habitats, and advocating for transformative policies that prioritize the planet’s health and future generations.
Civil litigation can help drive corporate accountability, propelling decisive measures for net zero, electrification of transit, grid decarbonization, food system innovation, industrial cleanup, and carbon removal.
Overview
Annually, human activities contribute to more than 40 gigatons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere (equivalent to the carbon sequestered by over 980 billion trees), exacerbating climate change and irreversibly altering the Earth’s natural balance.
Deforestation not only halts the absorption of 2.6 billion tons of CO2 by the world’s forests annually but also releases this stored carbon back into the atmosphere, exacerbating climate change.
Environmental Justice
Each year, people release billions of tons of greenhouse gases, including particulate matter and various pollutants from burning fossil fuels, into the atmosphere. These emissions are drivers of climate change and have a direct impact on health, including lung cancer—a leading cause of cancer-related mortality globally.
Human-induced climate change from burning fossil fuels and deforestation is accelerating glacier melt, threatening vital freshwater sources for billions, jeopardizing agriculture, drinking supplies, and increasing conflict over water scarcity.
Your Rights
- Legal Action: Individuals and communities can pursue class action suits against parties responsible for environmental harm, seeking redress and compensation for health impacts and diminished property values.
- Injunctions Granted: Victims can obtain court orders, or injunctions, to immediately halt activities that cause environmental harm.
- Cleanup Costs: Polluters can be held financially responsible for the costs of cleaning up environmental contamination they have caused.
- Restoration Claims: The law allows for claims that demand restoration of environments damaged by pollution to their original state.
- Whistleblower Protection: Those who report environmental violations are protected under whistleblower laws, encouraging the reporting of illegal pollution without fear of retaliation.
Annually, over 300 million tons of plastic are produced, with just 9% recycled, resulting in pervasive microplastics from ocean depths to Arctic ice, and massive CO2 emissions exacerbating climate change.
Lawyers' Role
- Environmental Justice: Fight for communities harmed by pollution, seeking restoration for people and the environment.
- Corporate Accountability: Hold businesses liable for environmental damage and combat ecological degradation.
- Public Health: Litigate against hazardous waste disposal and toxic emissions to protect community health.
- Class Actions: Lead class actions to address large-scale environmental harm and secure collective justice."
How We Can Help
Litigating Environmental Harm
- Handle cases involving pollution, toxic torts, and climate change, fighting for the remediation and compensation of affected areas and populations.
- Achieve settlements to restore and protect affected environments.
Emission Reduction Litigation
- Support policies that accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles and other green technologies to lower emissions.
- Litigate against industries that fail to comply with emission standards, promoting a shift towards sustainable practices.
Renewable Energy Advocacy
- Advocate for the inclusion of renewable energy into national grids, supporting infrastructural changes for cleaner power.
- Work with stakeholders to implement and support practices that prioritize ecological sustainability.
Sustainable Agriculture Enforcement
- Fight for legal standards that hold major agribusinesses accountable for environmental harm.
- Litigate to promote safe working conditions and prevent harmful agricultural practices impacting health and the environment.
Ecosystem Defense
- Provide legal defense for ecosystems threatened by corporations and government actions, ensuring biodiversity and ecological balance.
- Advocate against illegal deforestation and land use changes, helping secure protections and restoration efforts.
Industrial Accountability
- Pursue litigation against industries violating environmental regulations, compelling them to adopt cleaner production methods.
- Secure compensation to fund cleanup and restoration efforts.
Carbon Reduction Initiatives
- Develop legal strategies to help enforce the implementation of technologies addressing climate change.
- Advocate for laws and policies supporting the reduction of carbon emissions and promoting sustainable practices.
Supporting Green Innovations
- We help protect innovations with intellectual property law to turn green technology ideas into impactful environmental solutions.
- We can aid in securing investments for environmentally sustainable projects, so they have the backing to thrive and contribute to ecological well-being.
Toxic Exposure Claims
- Represent those exposed to toxic chemicals, securing compensation for health impacts and cleanup.
- Litigate asbestos and lead poisoning cases, holding parties accountable for health impacts.
Address Environmental Damage by Emerging Technologies
- Hold corporations accountable for pollution from new tech deployments.
- Litigate illegal emissions and hazardous waste from emerging tech manufacturing.
