• Kramer Levin’s Environmental lawyers help developers, investors, miners, carbon market participants and companies across industries manage environmental issues so they can focus on improving properties, maintaining efficient operations, building projects, closing transactions and planning their future. In matters involving day-to-day compliance and permitting, contaminated property cleanup, carbon markets, project development, and corporate transactions, we advise clients on ways to minimize risks associated with environmental liability, devise creative solutions to environmental challenges, and ensure compliance with all legal and regulatory requirements. We also advocate on behalf of clients in the courts, before administrative boards, and in agency regulatory and enforcement proceedings.

    Our lawyers have strong relationships and deep experience working with local, state and federal regulators — including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and New York City’s Department of Environmental Protection and Department of City Planning. As a result, we have exceptional credibility that often enables us to streamline environmental assessments, speed cleanups, facilitate carbon credit trades, and acquire permits and approvals more quickly than would otherwise be possible.

    We help clients with:

    • Due diligence and environmental impact reviews 
    • Land use, zoning, permits and approvals
    • Compliance matters
    • Audits and investigations
    • Brownfields redevelopment
    • Site assessment and remediation
    • Solid waste, landfills and hazardous waste issues
    • Litigation, including cost recovery litigation under Superfund/CERCLA and state equivalents
    • Air rights and air quality issues
    • Clean Water Act, water quality and water rights issues
    • Toxic substance and pesticide regulation
    • Workplace health and safety concerns
    • Green buildings and LEED certification
    • Environmental aspects of real estate deals, corporate transactions, bankruptcies and restructurings
    • Advocacy before regulatory bodies and in enforcement proceedings
    • Greenhouse gas emissions trading