Science, innovation, and litigation continue to outpace the laws and regulations affecting natural resources and environmental protection, presenting challenges across all regulated sectors. At the same time, divergent federal, state, and local laws create an uneven, increasingly complex, and rapidly changing regulatory landscape. Our team provides clients with the know-how to address and overcome the growing disconnect between these legal and business realities.
What We Do
Our well-resourced national team offers comprehensive regulatory, policy, transactional, and litigation support to clients at the forefront of natural resources, environmental, and energy law. We deliver leading-edge advice to clients involved with major project and infrastructure development, internal governance, auditing and assurance, enforcement defense, regulatory compliance and advocacy, complex transactions, and bet-the-company litigation. We handle bellwether proceedings across the U.S. involving major infrastructure initiatives, energy transition and fleet/grid modernization, carbon capture, e-mobility and electric vehicles, critical minerals, endangered species, NEPA compliance, permitting, federal lands, EPA and DOI rulemakings, DOE grants, PFAS regulations and litigation, and ESG strategies.
California often advances environmental regulations ahead of other states and the federal government. Drawing upon decades of experience, we help clients navigate an increasingly intricate and rapidly evolving environmental regulatory landscape in California. Our work includes securing incidental take permits under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA), preparing environmental documents in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and advising on California-specific programs such as the Lake and Streambed Alteration Program and the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act. Our team regularly negotiates with state regulators, including the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the California Office of Historic Preservation, and Regional Water Quality Control Boards.
Our Approach
Environmental issues are often multifaceted and entangled with competing stakeholder interests. Our team provides comprehensive, practical, and well-informed counsel to help clients navigate these issues and achieve their goals. We excel at creating forward-thinking pathways to solutions such as obtaining a critical permit; resolving a dispute or litigation; defending an agency or citizen enforcement action; implementing “best in class” compliance assurance programs; and negotiating complex deal terms.
Who We Serve
From market leaders to new entrants, we provide time-tested insights into the risks and challenges often associated with environmental issues. Our advice is backed by experience across a wide range of clients and industries. We regularly serve major public and private companies, regulated utilities, developers, investors, local governments, executives and boards, regulatory authorities, and others, in sectors such as energy, infrastructure, public utilities, manufacturing, aerospace, banking, real estate, retail, and transportation.
Hands-On Experience
Understanding and solving client problems in the environmental arena requires both legal and technical skills. Our lawyers have hands-on experience and training in chemistry, biochemistry, environmental science, biology, marine biology, ecology and evolutionary biology, and environmental engineering. Many have also worked in environmental agencies and/or environmental consulting firms. This experience provides us with a deep understanding of the issues affecting our clients’ businesses and allows us to develop thoughtful and sophisticated responses to the environmentally sensitive issues our clients often face.
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