Named a Law360 Environmental Practice Group for Sixth Consecutive Year

WASHINGTON ― For the sixth year in a row, Hunton & Williams LLP was designated an Environmental Group of the Year by Law360, which recognized the firm was “a force in several influential environmental cases in 2015, from a US Supreme Court ruling forcing the US Environmental Protection Agency to consider the cost of mercury emissions regulations, to a North Carolina high court ruling on coal ash pond cleanups.” In addition to 2015’s big wins, Law360 wrote, “the practice group was enlisted by various clients to participate in other high profile, currently pending litigation, including what promises to be the biggest environmental fight of 2016 over the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan.” “And then there’s the EPA and Corps of Engineers’ Clean Water Rule — also known as the Waters of the United States rule — which purports to clarify the scope of the federal government’s jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act.” Read more in the profile describing the firm’s environmental practice on Law360’s website (subscription).

“It’s rare that anyone gets a case in the Supreme Court and we got two cases on the Supreme Court on key issues for the energy sector, where we do most of our work, within a year’s time,” says William L. Wehrum, head of the firm’s administrative law group and chair of the environmental practice, referring to the high court’s decision in UARG v. EPA regarding the agency’s authority to regulate greenhouse gases. “Anytime we get to the Supreme Court it’s important and in these cases we got positive results. It is gratifying to be recognized for our work.”

The firm’s internationally recognized environmental practice comprises lawyers devoted to air, water, natural resources, waste, and other matters. The group advises clients at all stages of environmental issues, from initial legislative and policy development through implementation, compliance, and court challenges. The practice and many of its lawyers are ranked No. 1 nationally by Chambers USA, which also recognizes team members for their work involving climate change, energy, nuclear, and other regulatory areas. The practice also maintains a Tier 1 national ranking as a Best Law Firm: Environmental Law and is recognized regionally as a Tier 1 firm for both Environmental and Water Law by US News–Best Lawyers, 2016.