Environmental Law

News

April 27, 2020 Media Coverage
Lawyers See Maui Opinion as Grounds to Challenge Trump Water Rule
Bloomberg Law
Environmental law partner Sarah Bell was quoted in the Bloomberg Law article, "Lawyers See Maui Opinion as Grounds to Challenge Trump Water Rule." In the article, Sarah said the Maui holding will be used as “confirmation that the courts...
April 23, 2020 Media Coverage
SCOTUS Clean Water Act Test ‘Devastating’ for Industry
Bloomberg Law
Sarah Bell commented on the U.S. Supreme Court ruling saying that the Clean Water Act can be used to regulate pollution that travels through groundwater. Read full article, here . The case is  County of Maui v. Hawaii Wildlife...
April 20, 2020 Media Coverage
Coronavirus Slowing PFAS Testing, Cleanup Efforts Across U.S.
Bloomberg Law
Farella environmental law partner Sarah Bell spoke to Bloomberg Law about PFAS pollution testing delays caused by the coronavirus pandemic. In the article, Sarah commented that multiple months of delays are likely to affect federal efforts to curb PFAS...
November 22, 2019 Media Coverage
California Targets Pot Smoke Anew Under State Chemical Safety Law
Bloomberg Environment
Sarah Bell was quoted in the article "California Targets Pot Smoke Anew Under State Chemical Safety Law," looking at whether both pot smoke and the active ingredient in cannabis should be classified as reproductive toxics under California's Proposition 65. In...
Chris Locke headshot
November 6, 2019 Announcement
Chris Locke Joins Marin County Bar Association Board of Directors
Farella Braun + Martel partner Chris Locke was elected to the Marin County Bar Association’s Board of Directors for a three-year term beginning January 1, 2020. With over 700 members, the MCBA supports bar association members, serves as a...
October 30, 2019 Media Coverage
Superfund’s Next Challenge: Small-Town PFAS Contamination
Bloomberg Environment
Sarah Bell is quoted in this article on the future of Superfund sites. In the article she said that it is very likely the EPA will identify more potential Superfund sites with PFOA and PFOS contamination. Read the article...
April 25, 2019 Accolades
Farella Braun + Martel Recognized by Chambers USA 2019
SAN FRANCISCO, April 25, 2019:Farella Braun + Martel announces that Chambers USA has recognized 11 lawyers and five practice areas in the legal directory’s 2019 edition. Practice Area Recognition:  Of note, this year the Insurance Recovery practice moved up to...
March 27, 2019 Accolades
Farella Attorneys Honored With 2019 CLAY Award for M&A Deal
Farella Braun + Martel’s Jon Benjamin, Greg LeSaint, Phil Peters, Richard Rabbitt, and David Stoll have been named among the 2019 “California Lawyer Attorneys of the Year” by the Daily Journal . The annual CLAY Awards honor lawyers whose...
August 30, 2018 Accolades
Farella Braun + Martel Lawyers Recognized in Who’s Who Legal 2018
Nine Farella Braun + Martel lawyers have been recommended by Who’s Who Legal 2018 as leading practitioners in their fields.   James Bruen – Environment; Thought Leaders Global Elite James Colopy – Environment Alan Harris – Construction, Thought Leaders &ndash...
July 9, 2018 Media Coverage
Conservative High Court Could Change Course of Environmental Cases
Bloomberg Environment & Energy Report July 9, 2018 "Conservative High Court Could Change Course of Environmental Cases" Sarah Bell was quoted in Bloomberg Environment & Energy Report on how a conservative bench could reshape national policy.  Specifically, Ms. Bell...
June 27, 2018 Media Coverage
Retiring Justice Kennedy Shaped Clean Water Act’s Boundaries
Bloomberg Environment & Energy Report June 27, 2018 "Retiring Justice Kennedy Shaped Clean Water Act’s Boundaries" Sarah Peterman Bell commented on Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy's role in forming the nation’s environmental policies, including shaping the jurisdiction of the Clean Water...
April 13, 2018 Media Coverage
Water Contamination Riskier for Companies in Wake of Rulings
Bloomberg Environment April 13, 2018 "Water Contamination Riskier for Companies in Wake of Rulings" Environmental law partner Sarah Bell spoke to Bloomberg Environment about recent federal appeals courts rulings related to contaminated waterways. In the Kinder Morgan case , the...
March 30, 2018 Media Coverage
Buzzkill? Coffee Cancer Warnings Could Go Beyond California
Associated Press March 30, 2018 "Buzzkill? Coffee cancer warnings could go beyond California" Environmental law partner James Colopy commented on a California judge's tentative ruling that coffee in the state should carry a Proposition 65 warning in stores and on...

Firm Highlights

Publication

Wind Energy Project Approvals and Tax Credits Look To Outpace Macroeconomic and Supply Chain Headwinds in 2024

A snapshot of the renewable wind industry on October 31, 2023, captures many of the current challenges and opportunities for the industry and regulatory agencies heading into 2024.  That day, the world’s largest offshore...

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News

EPA Designates PFOA and PFOS as Hazardous Substances

Don Sobelman provided expert commentary in the  Chemical & Engineering News article "EPA Designates PFOA and PFOS as Hazardous Substances." Excerpt from the article: Lawyers are warning anyone purchasing an industrial site where PFOA...

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News

Farella Braun + Martel Earns 2024 Best Law Firms® Rankings

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Publication

New PFAS Federal Drinking Water Standards Create Major Liability and Litigation Risk

The United States Environmental Protection Agency has released a final regulation setting individual drinking water maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for five per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These MCLs are incredibly stringent due to EPA’s stated concerns...

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News

Lawdragon Names 7 Farella Lawyers Among “Leaders in Environmental Law”

Northern California legal powerhouse Farella Braun + Martel is pleased to announce that seven lawyers were selected to The Lawdragon Green 500: 2024 Leaders in Environmental Law . Farella lawyers selected for inclusion: Sarah...

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News

Farella Announces 2024 Leadership Council on Legal Diversity Pathfinders: Taylor Rottjakob and John Ugai

Farella Braun + Martel is proud to announce that senior associates  Taylor E. Rottjakob and John M. Ugai have been named 2024 Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) Pathfinders. Pathfinders have been identified as...

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Publication

New PFAS Listing Under Superfund Will Lead to Major Expansion of Liability

On April 19, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) announced its final rule designating perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) as hazardous substances under Section 102(a) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation...

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Publication

Where Are We Now, Following Maui County, Sackett, and the Latest EPA Guidance?

The last few years have seen significant developments in our understanding of the reach of the federal Clean Water Act (CWA). (Indeed, “reach” here can be interpreted literally and figuratively.) The two issues plaguing...

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Publication

Trends Guest Editorial: Wildfires and Wineries

Link to the article in Gradient's Trends  Spring 2023 newsletter. Recurring wildfires in the Napa and Sonoma Counties of California have created a set of niche problems for the surrounding wineries, on top of...

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Event

20th Annual Western Boot Camp on Environmental Law

Linda Gilleran is teaching the Energy Law session at the Environmental Law Institute's 20th Annual Western Boot Camp on Environmental Law.

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