Environmental Law
Our environmental litigation practice helps clients hold polluters accountable, protect public health, and defend communities and ecosystems from the lasting impacts of industrial pollution, toxic exposure, and corporate environmental negligence.
99%
causing an estimated 7 million premature deaths annually.
1
of People Still Breathe Unhealthy Air:
New WHO Data,” (Apr. 4, 2022).
$14.7B
2
to Spend Up to $14.7 Billion to Settle
Allegations of Cheating Emissions Tests
and Deceiving Customers on 2.0 Liter
Diesel Vehicles,” (June 28, 2016).
8M+ MT
3
An Overview,” Ocean Literacy Portal
(May 9, 2022).
1°C
4
Warming of 1.5 ºC,”
Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC) Special
Report (2018).
Forest Loss,”Our World in Data
(Feb. 2021, revised May 2024).
Our environmental law practice addresses corporate responsibility for pollution and hazardous waste, pushes for stronger regulatory enforcement in the face of governmental inaction, and supports initiatives related to renewable energy, net-zero commitments, and industrial cleanup. Through civil litigation, we aim to accelerate the transition to cleaner energy systems, including transit electrification, grid decarbonization, and pollution reduction. Addressing carbon emissions and embracing innovation in cleaner energy, including nuclear, are critical steps in responding to the climate crisis.
Overview
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
Every year, people release billions of tons of greenhouse gases and toxic pollutants into the environment, endangering public health and ecosystems. Industrial waste, oil spills, and hazardous chemicals can devastate entire communities, sometimes harming people hundreds of miles away. These pollutants fuel climate crises, disrupt habitats, and cause serious long-term health risks, including lung cancer—a leading global cause of cancer deaths.
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
Individuals and communities have legal avenues to hold polluters accountable for environmental harm. Class action lawsuits allow affected groups to seek compensation for health issues, property damage, and economic losses caused by pollution and hazardous exposure. Courts can issue injunctions to halt ongoing environmental violations, preventing further harm while legal proceedings unfold. Polluters can also be held financially liable for cleaning up contaminated land, water, and air, ensuring that those responsible—not impacted communities—bear the remediation cost. Legal claims may seek restoration of degraded ecosystems, requiring polluters to return affected areas to their pre-contamination state.
When regulatory agencies fail to enforce environmental protections, lawsuits can compel government action to uphold public health and safety laws. Whistleblower protections safeguard individuals who report environmental violations, shielding them from retaliation and encouraging the disclosure of illegal pollution, corporate misconduct, and regulatory failures. Strengthening enforcement and accountability through legal action is essential to protecting communities and ecosystems from long-term harm.
Lawyers' Role
Environmental lawyers play a vital role in holding polluters accountable, protecting public health, and enforcing environmental laws. They challenge corporate misconduct, advocate for affected communities, and pursue legal remedies that address environmental harm and regulatory violations. Through litigation, individuals and communities harmed by pollution, toxic exposure, and environmental negligence may seek compensation and demand corrective action.
Legal representation is available for those affected by industrial pollution, hazardous waste, and corporate environmental violations. When health, property, or livelihoods are impacted by contaminated air, water, or soil, legal action may provide a path to relief, including claims for damages and efforts to remediate environmental harm.
Class action lawsuits allow affected groups to address large-scale environmental damage, including chemical spills, oil pipeline failures, and toxic landfill contamination. These cases may result in corporate accountability, regulatory changes, and financial recovery for those harmed.
Legal protections also extend to whistleblowers who report corporate environmental violations. Those with knowledge of fraud, illegal pollution, or regulatory noncompliance may have protections under whistleblower statutes. Additionally, litigation may be used to challenge government inaction, compelling agencies to enforce environmental laws and uphold public health standards.
