Environmental Litigation

Barnes & Thornburg represents clients in complex environmental law matters in civil litigation, class actions, administrative proceedings and alternative dispute resolution. Internationally recognized Fortune 500 companies, major utilities, petroleum companies, municipalities, large trade associations, family-owned businesses and individuals regularly call on us to handle sensitive and sophisticated environmental disputes from inception to conclusion.

We also have gained recognition for our work in environmental litigation nationally. U.S. News and Best Lawyers ranked Barnes & Thornburg as a Tier One firm in the environmental litigation area.

We have a deep bench of expertise in all environmental areas and related subjects, including land, water, air, vapor intrusion, hazardous substances, toxic tort, and OSHA-related matters, including:

• Superfund allocations
• Cost recovery and contribution claims
• Citizen suits
• Class actions (including CAFA)
• Rulemaking litigation
• OSHA enforcement actions
• Criminal and “white collar” environmental matters
• Permit appeals
• Compliance and enforcement defense
• Contract and transactional disputes concerning environmental matters
• Common law torts
• Natural Resource Damages (NRD)

First and foremost, we are problem solvers and negotiators for our clients. We believe that it is almost always in your best interests to resolve disputes with governmental agencies or private parties outside of formal adversarial proceedings, and we have a track record of helping clients achieve their goals, even in “high-stakes” matters. If that approach fails, though, we stand ready to litigate in court or in administrative proceedings or other forms of dispute resolution. We are well-prepared to handle all aspects of sophisticated, discovery-intensive (including e-discovery), high-profile environmental matters.

Everyone says they are mindful of keeping litigation costs down. We don’t just say it, we do it. If it is not possible to avoid a lawsuit, pre-lawsuit efforts are instrumental in making cases easier to defend and less expensive, and are key to uncovering favorable evidence.

We take a pragmatic and cost-effective approach to disputes. Every litigated matter is evaluated at the earliest practical stage to determine the best fit – summary disposition, alternative dispute resolution, negotiated settlement or trial. By putting together a team of skilled attorneys, trial consultants and e-discovery professionals, we can focus your resources on the case-specific and unique aspects of the matter – for results that meet your business goals.