Environmental and Toxic Tort Litigation

Schiff Hardin lawyers represent clients in major environmental and toxic tort litigation throughout the United States. Working together across a broad range of practice areas, our experienced attorneys can quickly and efficiently assess matters, develop and manage cost-effective litigation approaches and execute appropriate strategies for clients confronting environmental or toxic tort exposure.

We represent clients against both government and private entities, in both civil and criminal matters, in administrative proceedings, and at the trial and appellate levels of the state and federal courts. We collaborate with our clients to budget, plan and execute strategies that are in harmony with their business objectives, and we use sophisticated accounting, database and case management tools to help them achieve their goals.

Substantive Environmental Knowledge

Our environmental attorneys possess exceptional substantive knowledge of environmental law. We have handled cases for clients under all of the major federal and state environmental acts:

Trial Experience

Schiff Hardin has many skilled and experienced trial lawyers who handle a wide range of problems across the country. Because plaintiffs choose the forum, our clients need lawyers who can try cases in the most difficult forums and under the most difficult circumstances.

The depth of our trial experience always gives our clients a full range of viable strategies.

Environmental, Scientific and
Medical Experts

Scientific evidence and expert testimony are often critical to the successful resolution of a toxic tort or environmental matter. Our lawyers have strong working relationships with nationally recognized scientific and medical experts, and we also have an exceptional track record when attacking opponents' experts in Daubert, Frye and other proceedings to exclude scientifically unreliable expert testimony.

Class Action Expertise

Our class action litigation practice spans the country

Many of our attorneys concentrate their practice in defending class actions and other complex, multi-party litigation filed in state and federal courts throughout the country. Our experience includes successful removal to federal courts, obtaining dismissals through motion practice, extended class certification hearings, trial, and negotiating and administering class settlements.

Energy Company Representation

Schiff Hardin's energy litigation practice often focuses on environmental and toxic tort disputes. We represent energy companies in state and federal courts and in arbitration and mediation proceedings around the country, and before federal and state regulatory commissions. We served as lead trial counsel in the second trial of the EPA's New Source Review enforcement actions against power generators, and we have represented energy companies in water and soil contamination cases, as well as personal injury asbestos actions.

Multi-District Litigation and Consolidated Proceedings

Environmental and toxic tort litigation often occurs within the context of federal multi-district litigation (MDL) or its state-law equivalent. We understand that the question of whether to seek or oppose MDL or consolidation is critically important, and we guide our clients to pursue the option that is most likely to lead to success.