• Charles Bachman
      Times Square Tower
      7 Times Square
      New York, NY, 10036
      Phone: +1-212-408-2421
      Fax: +1-212-326-2061
  • Debra Belaga
      Two Embarcadero Center, 28th Floor
      San Francisco, CA, 94111-3823
      Phone: +1-415-984-8750
      Fax: +1-415-984-8701
  • Thomas Carruthers
      Times Square Tower
      7 Times Square
      New York, NY, 10036
      Phone: +1-212-326-2242
      Fax: +1-212-326-2061
  • Carla Christofferson
      400 South Hope Street
      Los Angeles, CA, 90071
      Phone: +1-213-430-8359
      Fax: +1-213-430-6407
  • Riccardo Celli
      Blue Tower
      Avenue Louise 326
      1050 Brussels
      Phone: +32-2-642-4134
      Fax: +32-2-642-4190
  • Brian Currey
      400 South Hope Street
      Los Angeles, CA, 90071
      Phone: +1-213-430-6685
      Fax: +1-213-430-6407
  • John F. Daum
      400 South Hope Street
      Los Angeles, CA, 90071
      Phone: +1-213-430-6111
      Fax: +1-213-430-6407
  • David Foster
      Warwick Court
      5 Paternoster Square
      London, EC4M 7DX
      Phone: +44-20-7558-4819
      Fax: +44-20-7088-0001
  • Paul R. Koepff
      Times Square Tower
      7 Times Square
      New York, NY, 10036
      Phone: +1-212-326-2189
      Fax: +1-212-326-2061
  • Kelly McTigue
      400 South Hope Street
      Los Angeles, CA, 90071
      Phone: +1-213-430-6297
      Fax: +1-213-430-6407
  • M. Randall Oppenheimer
      1999 Avenue of the Stars, 7th Floor
      Los Angeles, CA, 90067
      Phone: +1-310-246-6722
      Fax: +1-310-246-6779
  • Charles Read
      400 South Hope Street
      Los Angeles, CA, 90071
      Phone: +1-213-430-7500
      Fax: +1-213-430-6407
  • Eric Rothenberg
      Times Square Tower
      7 Times Square
      New York, NY, 10036
      Phone: +1-212-326-2003
      Fax: +1-212-326-2061
  • Tancred Schiavoni
      Times Square Tower
      7 Times Square
      New York, NY, 10036
      Phone: +1-212-326-2267
      Fax: +1-212-326-2061
  • Scott Silverman
      Yin Tai Centre, Office Tower, 37th Floor
      No. 2 Jianguomenwai Ave.
      Chao Yang District
      Beijing, 100022
      Phone: +86-10-6563-4203
      Fax: +86-10-6563-4201
  • Gregory Thorpe
      400 South Hope Street
      Los Angeles, CA, 90071
      Phone: +1-213-430-6593
      Fax: +1-213-430-6407
  • Sharon Tomkins
      400 South Hope Street
      Los Angeles, CA, 90071
      Phone: +1-213-430-6339
      Fax: +1-213-430-6407
  • Todd Triller
      Times Square Tower
      7 Times Square
      New York, NY, 10036
      Phone: +1-212-326-2253
      Fax: +1-212-326-2061
  • Geoff Yost
      Two Embarcadero Center, 28th Floor
      San Francisco, CA, 94111-3823
      Phone: +1-415-984-8724
      Fax: +1-415-984-8701
PROFESSIONALS

  • American Capital, Ltd.
    Apollo Management, L.P.
    Berry Plastics
    Black Canyon Capital LLC
    BP Amoco
    Caxton-Iseman Capital, Inc.
    CCMP Capital Advisors, LLC
    Cerberus Capital Management, L.P.
    Chemtura Corporation
    Clarity Partners, L.P.
    Covalence Specialty Materials Corp.
    Credit Suisse First Boston
    Edison International

    • AIG

      Bank of America, N.A

      Beowulf Energy

      Bicent (California) Power

      BNP Paribas

      Dynegy

      ExxonMobil Corporation

      Francisco Partners

      Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.

      Goldman, Sachs & Co.

      Goodman Global, Inc.

      Hexion Specialty Chemicals, Inc.

      Home Depot U.S.A., Inc.

      Honeywell International, Inc.

      Insight Venture Partners

      International Game Technology

      J.P. Morgan Partners

      Jacuzzi Brands Corporation

      Jean Coutu Group (PJC) USA, Inc.

      JER Partners

      Kennecott Land Company

      Korg USA

      Lennar Corporation

      Lincoln Electric Company

      Marubeni

      Mindray Medical International Ltd.

      Mitsui Chemicals Inc.

      Momentive Performance Materials Inc.

      Moncada Energy Group

      Morgan Stanley

      Nalco Inc.

      Noranda Aluminum Incorporated

      Norsk Hydro ASA

      Onex Corporation

      Orient Overseas International Limited

      Pacific Harbor Line, Inc.

      Palladium Equity Partners, LL C

      PG&E

      Power-One, Inc.

      Quality Distribution Inc.

      Quiksilver, Inc.

      Rexnord, Inc.

      Sandisk Corporation

      Southern California Edison

      Trust Company of the West

      UBS AG

      Verizon Communications

      Verso Paper Holdings LL C

      Wendel Investissement

Energy, Natural Resources and Environment

The Energy, Natural Resources and Environment (ENRE) Practice Group at O’Melveny provides the highest caliber of service available to address these environmental issues. Embodying a wealth of experience, and drawing knowledge from governmental service and work in related scientific and engineering disciplines, we are an interdisciplinary group of transactions, litigation, and regulatory practitioners working out of O’Melveny’s 14 offices worldwide. 

 

We provide global transactional diligence and documentation support with experience in virtually every industrial, commercial, and real estate sector, including consideration of emerging worldwide regulatory issues such as greenhouse gas restrictions.  Our transactional lawyers negotiate deals for the acquisition, development, and power sales of wind energy and are also involved in biomass, solar, and geothermal transactions.  We have a unique capability in integrating our litigation and enforcement knowledge into transactional diligence, as well as conducting due diligence reviews involving large-scale industrial commercial transactions for private equity clients. Recent work includes reviews for clients Apollo Management, L.P., American Capital Strategies, CCMP (formerly JP Morgan), and The Jean Coutu Group. Deploying a team including litigators, environmental consultants, toxicologists, local law specialists, insurance advisors, and actuaries, we have provided diligence and documentation over five continents for Apollo in a series of transactions comprising the roll-up of Borden Chemicals, and businesses of Shell Resins, Arkema GmbH, Orica, Azko Nobel, Rhodia S.A., and Eastman Chemicals, to form Hexion Specialty Chemicals, Inc., the world’s largest producer of thermosetting resins. 

 
When companies are charged with violation of environmental laws, we are skilled at providing creative and effective defense, often taking into consideration claims in multiple jurisdictions. We are experienced in defending civil and criminal suits and proceedings, citizen suits, class actions and mass torts, natural resource damage (NRD) claims, and siting challenges. Our toxic tort teams have provided defense as coordinating counsel on asbestos, chemical exposure, and welding rod litigation claims, framing and implementing nationwide defense and settlement strategies. We have served as litigation lead on some of the largest NRD matters to date, including our ongoing, high-profile representation of ExxonMobil in matters relating to the Valdez oil spill of 1989.

Key Facts

  • O’Melveny’s far-reaching work was recognized by Asian Legal Business, which honored us with its inaugural “China Deals of the Year Award” in the Energy, Mining, and Resources category for our role as international counsel in the negotiation and execution of US$20 billion of long-term sales contracts for liquid natural gas (LNG).
  • Our lawyers have been honored in Chambers USA, International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers, The Best Lawyers in America, PLC Which Lawyer?, and Law & Politics Media Inc. Chambers USA 2009 states that “clients call on the team for ‘matters where we need substantial firepower’” and says that clients characterize our environmental team as “skillful problem solvers.”  
  • Our litigators are part of the team that has been recognized by American Lawyer every year since it started its “Litigation Department of the Year” contest in 2002. In addition to being named “Litigation Department of the Year” in 2004, we have received Honorable Mention awards in 2002, 2006, and most recently in 2008. Out of the entire AmLaw 200 list of law firms, only seven other firms can claim a similar record of achievement in this contest.
  • Accomplishments include arguing precedent-setting cases before the US Supreme Court, participating in the settlement of the largest pollution control litigation in US history, and completing the largest wind energy power deal in US history.
  • We have substantial experience in coordination and management of large-scale proceedings. We advocate groundbreaking punitive damages strategies, and have dramatically reduced our clients’ exposure to punitive damages awards. In the Exxon Valdez litigation, our team pioneered the concept of “limited fund class action” to reduce the scope of punitive damages.
  • In the area of criminal environmental litigation, we have considerable experience counseling clients on claims under hazardous waste laws, the US Clean Air Act, and the US Clean Water Act, among others. We have achieved successful settlements with the US Environmental Protection Agency through voluntary disclosures, and have convinced the US Department of Justice to close criminal inquiries without bringing charges. In one matter, we obtained favorable resolutions of multiple statewide investigations brought against BP Amoco, arising from alleged non-compliance with environmental laws regulating underground storage tanks for retail gas stations.
  • We have provided effective defense of citizen suit claims—including those brought under the Federal Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and state law such as California’s Proposition 65—regularly serving as lead counsel at National Priorities List Site matters under the US Superfund program.
  • We have land use experience under current law and policy around the globe, including statutes requiring pre-development environmental assessments, such as National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA), California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and programs for brownfield development.
  • We have experience in crises management of high-profile enforcement matters and catastrophic events.

Industry Reach

  • Alternative Energy
  • Brownfield Development
  • Carbon Trading and Greenhouse Gas Controls
  • Electric Energy
  • Insurance Coverage
  • Maritime
  • Military Base Closure
  • Mining
  • Natural Gas
  • Natural Resources Damage Claims
  • Occupational Safety and Health
  • Pipelines
  • Public Utilities
  • Renewable Energy

Practice Strengths

  • Aggregated Litigation
  • Appellate Litigation
  • Civil and Criminal Enforcement by Federal, State, and Local Authorities
  • Class Actions
  • Clean Energy Technology
  • Climate Change
  • Environmental Law
  • Environmental Litigation
  • Land Use and EIS Proceedings
  • Superfund Litigation (including private actions)
  • Toxic Tort Litigation
  • Transactional Diligence and Documentation

Apollo Management Caxton-Iseman Capital, Inc. Chemtura Corporation Combe Fill South Landfill NPL Site Edison International and Southern California Edison
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