T: 415.954.4935
F: 415.954.4480
rhines@fbm.com
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Robert L. Hines, Partner
Buzz Hines is a partner in and the former chair of Farella's Environmental Law Department, and has practiced environmental law since the 1980s. Mr. Hines represents clients in complex governmental and private litigation and enforcement actions, including state and federal cost recovery actions, natural resource damage claims, air and water and hazardous waste actions, and multi-media agency proceedings. He provides regulatory representation and compliance counseling regarding a broad array of issues, including permitting, regulation of greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions, administrative variance proceedings, and site investigations and cleanup. He chairs Farella's Air Quality and Climate Change group.
Mr. Hines works with clients to defend administrative, civil and criminal environmental and related disputes and actions. In that context, Mr. Hines leads internal investigations and assists clients with voluntary disclosures. He provides domestic and international counseling regarding chemical regulation and compliance with federal and state environmental laws including CWA, CAA, RCRA, FIFRA, TSCA, SDWA, Proposition 65, and the California Hazardous Waste Control Law. Mr. Hines practices before all the major state and federal environmental agencies, including U.S. EPA, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control, the California Regional Water Quality Control Boards and the State Water Resources Control Board, including its newly formed Office of Enforcement, and various Air Boards and Districts.
Mr. Hines assists clients in connection with site closure, and property development, including Brownfields related work and securing appropriate immunities and environmental covenants. He counsels clients regarding the evaluation and implementation of environmental management systems, and in the performance of compliance and regulatory audits in a variety of substantive areas. He has taken a lead role in due diligence investigations in corporate and real estate transactions. He also assists clients in the placement of environmentally related insurance products, as well as obtaining insurance coverage for claimed losses.
Mr. Hines represents clients concerning agricultural and related product issues, in the context of defense of crop loss claims, advising on FIFRA and state equivalent label requirements and providing product stewardship advice. He also advises the bottled water industry on spring water issues and related branding, and the beverage industry as well on regulatory compliance and permitting and brand protection.
Mr. Hines served as a Trial Attorney (hired through the Honors Program) with the U.S. Department of Justice's Environmental Enforcement Section of the Environment and Natural Resources Division in Washington, D.C.
Mr. Hines is a frequent speaker on environmental law topics, and has served as an adjunct professor for the Environmental Law Program at Golden Gate University School of Law. He is listed in The Best Lawyers in America and in The International Who's Who of Environmental Lawyers (2009).