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
Related Practices
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
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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
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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
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Aggregated Litigation
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Appellate Litigation
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Civil and Criminal Enforcement by Federal, State, and Local Authorities
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Class Actions
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Clean Energy Technology
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Climate Change
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Environmental Law
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Environmental Litigation
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Land Use and EIS Proceedings
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Superfund Litigation (including private actions)
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Toxic Tort Litigation
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Transactional Diligence and Documentation
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Apollo Management
Caxton-Iseman Capital, Inc.
Chemtura Corporation
Combe Fill South Landfill NPL Site
Edison International and Southern California Edison
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