Katten is the firm of choice for high-profile and high-stakes environmental matters, offering sophisticated and tailored counsel in this complex and evolving arena—from providing effective advocacy with regulators and legislators on issues such as air quality and climate change, to building strong and effective compliance programs, to litigating cutting-edge matters, to responding to government investigations and enforcement actions. We help clients mitigate the environmental and financial risks associated with undetected, uninsured or undisclosed environmental liabilities, and we have experience with every major federal environmental statute and several state law counterparts, as well as a number of international treaties. Katten's team of experienced attorneys and consultants includes public policy advocates and strategic communications professionals who work together to deal with environmental and energy issues that are often controversial. Our firm advises companies, business groups and trade associations on major environmental and energy development needs, both domestically and globally.
Katten's team includes a former House of Representatives counsel who was instrumental in passage of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, a former chief of the Department of Justice's Environmental Crimes Section, former senior in-house environmental attorneys and managers who understand what it takes to achieve compliance on a day-to-day basis in challenging business climates, former White House and Capitol Hill staffers, and technical consultants who understand the intricacies of water, air and soil testing, as well as several attorneys with years of experience in the private sector advising clients on their most important environmental and energy challenges.
Our team prides itself on helping companies and other clients manage complex issues that involve multiple stakeholders in a cost-effective and efficient manner. We are known for our ability to respond quickly and effectively to solve problems in a targeted and strategic manner.
The Right Choice
We provide counsel in connection with civil and criminal environmental enforcement defense, general regulatory compliance, internal investigations, government information requests and grand jury subpoena demands, search warrants, legislation, administrative rulemakings, mergers and acquisitions, permitting, cost recovery, toxic torts, citizens’ suits, and the design and implementation of environmental management systems.
Our clients, however, expect—and receive—something more.
Personal attention. We build productive working relationships with clients through personal attentiveness and responsiveness.
Client awareness. Part of doing our job is to know and understand client needs and expectations in connection with any given matter, including concerns and challenges that extend beyond it.
Knowing what works. Our attorneys’ past experiences, which include significant positions in government agencies and on Capitol Hill, facilitate the path to resolution. We never forget that each matter and set of circumstances are unique, and our advice and counsel reflect that awareness. We have represented a wide array of Fortune 500 companies in numerous sectors, including manufacturing, chemicals, energy, finance, utilities, homebuilding, construction, pipeline, shipping and technology, as well as individuals, including corporate executives.
Experienced Practitioners
Our clients seek environmental lawyers who have the depth of experience to provide real-world solutions tailored to their unique needs, and who can quickly discern the issues and areas that should be addressed.
Our Environmental Litigation team is experienced in all aspects of administrative, civil and criminal proceedings.
Our Workplace Safety team advises clients on their health and safety obligations under the federal Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act and analogous state laws.
Our Safety Advisory Group unites safety professionals from across industries and disciplines in a forum for members to discuss topics of interest and benchmark safety efforts with similarly situated organizations.
Our Environmental Law and Policy team can help ensure that your company has a voice in the public policy debate—on Capitol Hill, throughout the agencies, and in state and regional arenas.
Our Air Quality and Climate Change team combines strong, substantive knowledge of the Clean Air Act with significant regulatory, legislative and litigation experience.
Our Water team is experienced with the complex framework of laws and regulations that regulate discharges of pollutants.
Our Environmental Management Systems team helps companies craft strong and effective compliance systems.
Our Internal Investigations and Incident Response team helps companies respond immediately and comprehensively to environmental incidents, enabling our clients to make informed and timely decisions.
Our Maritime Environmental Law team advises clients on the complex and often interconnected international, federal, state and local laws that impact the maritime industry.
Related Practices
We share our clients’ awareness that an environmental matter may relate to a range of other issues. Our Environmental Practice is integrated with a host of other practices across the firm, which ensures a prompt response to related issues as they arise, with minimal cost and delay due to the efficiencies of our coordinated practices. These practices include:
- White Collar
- Labor and Employment
- Consumer Class Action
- Corporate
- Financial Services
- Customs and International Trade
- Real Estate
- Intellectual Property
- Antitrust
- Food, Drug and Cosmetic