Joshua Frank > Baker Botts L.L.P. > Washington DC, United States > Lawyer Profile

Baker Botts L.L.P.
700 K Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20001-5692
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
United States

Work Department

Litigation - Environmental, Safety & Incident Response

Position

Partner

Career

Joshua Frank is a seasoned litigator who handles a wide variety of complex, high stakes environmental litigation matters across the country. His practice spans all media (air, water, and waste) under state and federal environmental statutes and regulatory programs, including common law torts. He has defended clients against citizen and governmental enforcement actions under the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act; represented clients in cost recovery, contribution and natural resource damage litigation under CERCLA; defended clients against mass tort and products liability litigation, including a substantial amount of work on class action defense; and defended clients in high-profile challenges to permits for infrastructure projects. Because his work often involves complex scientific and engineering issues, he draws upon his scientific background to give his clients a leg up in their defense of such claims.

Member of the Firm’s Environmental, Safety and Incident Response Section. Joined the Firm directly out of law school; partner since 2007.

Memberships

Member of the D.C. Bar, Montana Bar, and Illinois Bar (Inactive). DRI Toxic Torts and Environmental Law Committee.

Education

J.D., University of Michigan (1997); M. Eng. (Geological Sciences), Cornell University (1994); A.B. (Geological Sciences), Cornell University (1993).

Lawyer Rankings

United States > Dispute resolution > Product liability, mass tort and class action - defense: toxic tort

Leveraging the expertise of litigators and environment specialists primarily based out of its Houston headquarters, as well as from Washington DC, Baker Botts L.L.P. is particularly accomplished at representing energy and utilities clients in toxic tort issues arising in the course of their business. The scope of this work is broad and includes consolidated private litigation alleging personal injury and property damage as a result of groundwater and soil contamination, as well as regularly responding to major high-profile environmental incidents –  where the firm is able to provide a tailored crisis response service aimed at minimizing reputational damage and to efficiently respond to attendant regulatory investigations, as well as resulting litigation. In Houston, Russell Lewis excels in handling multi-faceted mandates and is often front-and-centre in assisting major manufacturing and energy companies respond in the aftermath of major environmental incidents; he continues to represent Intercontinental Terminals Company in crisis response, governmental enforcement defense, and multiple class actions and private party lawsuits arising out of Deer Park terminal fire. As well as providing regulatory compliance advice, Washington DC-based partner Kent Mayo also regularly handles class action litigation arising from environmental issues, as well as responding to governmental enforcement actions – an area that he is able to provide particular insight as a result of his previous tenure as a trial lawyer at the Environmental Enforcement section of the DOJ. Joshua Frank and Ty Buthod co-head the team alongside Mayo from Washington DC and Houston, respectively.