INDUSTRIES & PRACTICES

resourceful solutions

Environmental
WE TEAM WITH CLIENTS TO SOLVE A WIDE RANGE OF COMPLEX LEGAL AND POLICY CHALLENGES ARISING FROM ENVIRONMENTAL, LAND USE AND RESOURCE LAWS.

Overview

Dorsey represents clients in major compliance, litigation, administrative, enforcement, insurance and legislative matters relating to environmental, land use and resources laws. We also counsel clients on environmental and regulatory issues arising in corporate, real estate and infrastructure development matters. Our clients include manufacturers, contractors and developers, airlines, railroads and light rail, agricultural and food processors, energy generators (coal, gas, nuclear and renewable), mining companies, refineries and petroleum distributors.

We can help you resolve your most difficult environmental challenges by creating a team with the right legal knowledge, industry understanding, business acumen and experience to meet your needs. We help clients address environmental matters in a wide range of areas, including:

  • Agricultural chemicals
  • Air and water quality
  • Audits, compliance programs and environmental reviews
  • Brownfield Development
  • Cultural and Historical Resources
  • Endangered Species
  • Enforcement (civil and criminal)
  • Environmental and Major Facility Permitting
  • Hazardous Waste/Superfund
  • Insurance Coverage
  • Mining/Natural Resources
  • Public Lands
  • Remediation
  • TSCA/FIFRA
  • Toxic Torts
  • Worker Safety (OSHA)

Experience

Litigation

  • NEPA litigation for proposed coal mine facility
  • NEPA litigation for deregulation of genetically-engineered seed
  • State environmental review litigation for tire-to-energy facility
  • “Restoration damages” litigation arising from petroleum release
  • CERCLA and RCRA litigation involving alleged releases of hazardous substances
  • Toxic tort litigation involving alleged workplace exposure to lead
  • Toxic tort litigation arising out of major chemical release from railcar
  • Environmental litigation relating to noise levels at major airport

Compliance

  • “Fast Track” environmental permitting for “major source” manufacturing facility
  • Environmental review for intermodal facility
  • Environmental permitting of gas-fired power plant
  • Environmental permitting of coal-fired power plant
  • Environmental permitting of major agricultural processing facility
  • Environmental audit of petroleum refinery
  • Compliance review and counseling for large coal-fired electric power generating facility
  • Multi-media environmental due diligence of petroleum refinery
  • Multi-media environmental due diligence of more than 400 facilities (single transaction)
  • “White Paper” investigation of Fortune 100 company’s environmental auditing program
  • Brownfield development of former military facility
  • Drafting and advocacy of environmental legislation
  • Criminal enforcement defense in CERCLA, RCRA and Clean Act matters
  • Civil enforcement defense in CERCLA, RCRA and Clean Air Act cases

Accolades

2023 Lawyer of the Year Megan Houdeshel

Best Lawyers

2022 Lawyer of the Year Robert Cattanach, Minneapolis-Litigation-Environment, Best Lawyers

Chambers Leading Lawyers 2023

Over 90 Dorsey Super Lawyers 2024

US News Best Lawyers 2017 Top Environmental Litigation Law Firm

Dorsey Tier 1 Environmental Law Practice-Best Lawyers 2016