Environmental Law

Helping businesses comply with environmental law

We assist our corporate and business clients in avoiding enforcement actions by complying with the various local, state and federal environmental regulations, while keeping our clients informed of updates in the laws.

We have experience navigating a host of environmental regulations including those impacting:

Air quality

Water quality and wastewater treatment

Wetlands

Solid waste and hazardous waste

Counselling borrowers, buyers, sellers and tenants under RI environmental laws.

In the real estate aspects of our practice, we have served as counsel to borrowers, buyers, sellers and tenants, all of whom have distinct responsibilities under Rhode Island’s environmental laws.

We assist clients in navigating the complex issues associated with:

Selling, leasing, developing and/or purchasing contaminated properties (“Brownfields”)

Including conducting and managing environmental due diligence reviews

Advising on and procuring environmental insurance

Advancing or drafting indemnification and hold harmless provisions in transaction documents

Negotiating with state and federal regulators on proper and efficient remediation goals and objectives.

We also regularly deal with the various local zoning and planning department regulations, and have appeared on behalf of clients before numerous zoning and planning boards.

Litigating environmental mediation, arbitration and alternative dispute resolution.

We have a successful track record of litigating environmental matters with experience in mediation, arbitration and other forms of alternative dispute resolution. In addition, based on our experience prosecuting cases while employed as staff attorney for RIDEM, we can efficiently assist clients in effectively responding to, and defending against, administrative enforcement actions (i.e., Notices of Violation, Notices of Intent to Enforce, CERCLA 104(e) requests, etc.) from state and federal regulatory agencies such as RIDEM, EPA and CRMC, ensuring fair treatment and just results.

We assist our clients in negotiating and drafting protective environmental provisions in a wide variety of contexts, including but not limited to negotiating and drafting litigation and/or administrative enforcement action litigation pleadings and a wide range of settlement and consent agreement documents, real estate transactional provisions for purchase and sale agreements and leases, indemnification and release agreements, and site access agreements.