Kelley Drye & Warren LLP

Historic settlement advances growing national effort to hold polluters accountable for PFAS contaminationRALEIGH, NC (September 14, 2026) – Kelley Drye is pleased to congratulate North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson, Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Reid Wilson, and the entire State of North Carolina team on securing a $590 settlement with Chemours, DuPont and Corteva – the largest total environmental damages recovery in the state’s history. Together with the nearly $1.2 billion Chemours has already spent to comply with the state's 2019 consent order, state and local governments have recovered nearly $2 billion in total value for North Carolina and its residents.The settlement resolves litigation brought by the State and 11 local governments against Chemours, DuPont and their affiliates for decades of discharges of PFAS "forever chemicals" into neighboring communities and the Cape Fear River, impacting the drinking water of over 500,000 North Carolinians. The settlement recovers $455 million in PFAS-treatment costs and natural resource damages, and also secures $135 million in financial assurance from DuPont to stand behind the remediation obligations of Chemours under the 2019 consent order. "We are incredibly proud to represent the State of North Carolina and to support Attorney General Jeff Jackson and his team in holding these companies accountable for decades of PFAS contamination that harmed communities across the Cape Fear region," said William J. Jackson, partner in Kelley Drye’s environmental practice group. Kenny Corley, lead trial counsel on the matter, said, "This settlement represents an important step forward in addressing the impacts of PFAS contamination and securing meaningful relief for affected communities. This settlement will help support efforts to address PFAS contamination and ensure that residents across southeastern North Carolina have access to clean, safe water.”Under the terms of the agreement, $455 million in guaranteed payments will be made to the State and local governments over the next 10 to 15 years, with $75 million allocated to the State, including roughly $55 million directed to an Emerging Contaminant Mitigation Fund recently created by the North Carolina General Assembly to support local efforts to detect and reduce contaminants in drinking water. The remaining $380 million will be divided among 11 affected local governments, including Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, Cumberland, New Hanover, Robeson and Sampson Counties, the Town of Wrightsville Beach, the City of Lumberton, the Village of Bald Head Island, and the Lower Cape Fear Water and Sewer Authority.The settlement also establishes a $135 million reserve fund from DuPont and Corteva to support Chemours’ ongoing obligations under the 2019 consent order. The agreement reinforces NCDEQ’s enforcement of those obligations, which include measures to reduce PFAS discharges and migration, control air emissions, address contaminated groundwater and stormwater, and provide clean drinking water to families with contaminated wells. The reserve fund will help ensure that families receiving clean drinking water continue to have access to it if Chemours is unable to meet its obligations. The Kelley Drye team, led by Corley, included Partners Bill Jackson, Melissa Byroade, Laura Duncan, Levi Downing, Elizabeth Krasnow, and David Zalman; Special Counsel Ivan Morales, Frances Morris, Lauren Shah, Nancy Yanochik, and Curt Marshall; Senior Associate Fanny Turcios; Associate Maria Pimienta; and paralegal Charity Smith, and a large team of other firm attorneys and professional staff. The North Carolina Attorney General’s team was led by Asher Spiller, Laura Howard and Marc Bernstein. For decades, the lawyers at Kelley Drye have been fortunate to represent public sector clients, including states, attorneys general, local governments, and other public entities, in historic and complex natural resource damages and environmental contamination cases, including the State of Louisiana in the Deepwater Horizon Gulf Spill, the single largest environmental and natural resource damages recovery in history. The firm recently represented the State of New Jersey in securing a landmark settlement valued at more than $2 billion with DuPont and a historic settlement with 3M — the largest environmental recovery for a single state in U.S. history. Together with these PFAS and other recoveries for the States of North Carolina and New Jersey, Kelley Drye's Environmental Litigation team has recovered tens of billions of dollars in remediation costs, property damages, natural resource damages, lost tax revenues, and other remedies for the public. More information about Kelley Drye's complex Environmental Litigation and Natural Resource Damages services can be found at www.kelleydrye.com.

New partner brings deep experience in data center, power generation, and large-scale project development to the firm’s growing Texas presenceSeptember 22, 2026 — Kelley Drye & Warren LLP is pleased to announce that Christina Hightower has joined the firm as a partner in its Corporate practice group. Based in Austin and associated with the firm’s Houston office, Christina brings nearly a decade of private practice and in-house experience advising owners and developers on complex capital projects, including some of the largest liquefied natural gas (LNG), data center, and power generation developments in the United States.“Christina is an outstanding addition to Kelley Drye and a natural fit for the platform we are building in energy and infrastructure,” said Dana Rosenfeld, Kelley Drye’s Managing Partner. “Her extensive experience representing owners and developers on multibillion-dollar projects — combined with her rare ability to bridge the commercial, operational, and legal dimensions of large-scale developments — strengthens our ability to deliver sophisticated, integrated counsel in one of the fastest-growing sectors of the economy. Her addition also deepens our presence in the Texas market, where demand for experienced project counsel continues to accelerate. We are thrilled to welcome her to the firm.”Christina’s transactional practice centers on helping owners and developers structure and negotiate the agreements necessary to move major capital projects from development through execution. She advises on engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) strategy, contract structuring, risk allocation, and project execution, including the negotiation of complex commercial terms for LNG, data center, and power generation projects. Christina has negotiated billions of dollars in agreements supporting the development and execution of major projects, with particular experience developing and negotiating procurement terms and conditions and aligning them with EPC, financing, and other project-level requirements. She currently serves as project counsel on major energy, power generation, digital infrastructure, and data center developments, advising on the procurement and construction of critical project assets and supporting infrastructure. Her experience also includes acting as corporate secretary and strategic advisor to project companies and data center developers. “As we expand Kelley Drye’s energy and infrastructure capabilities, Christina brings valuable experience and perspective to the firm,” said Tim Lavender, Chair of Kelley Drye’s Corporate practice. “Texas is at the center of the data center and energy infrastructure boom, and Christina’s deep roots in the market and established client relationships enhance our ability to serve clients in a region where many of the country’s most significant projects are being developed. Her ability to manage the full lifecycle of complex projects complements the strengths of our corporate, real estate, tax, and environmental teams.”Earlier in her career, Christina served as in-house commercial counsel for a publicly traded developer of a multibillion-dollar LNG pipeline and terminal project. In that role, she worked directly with commercial and executive leadership, coordinated cross-functional teams, and negotiated major project agreements with counterparties. Christina also brings substantial experience in complex commercial litigation and arbitration. She has represented clients in high-value EPC and other commercial disputes and understands how contractual language and project decisions are tested when projects go wrong. Her disputes practice has included construction, commercial, and fiduciary disputes in Texas state and federal courts, on appeal, and in arbitration. “I am excited to join Kelley Drye and for the opportunity to work alongside a team that already has so many of the complementary capabilities required to serve infrastructure clients — including real estate, tax, environmental, corporate, disputes, and regulatory practices,” said Christina. “Kelley Drye’s platform gives me the ability to deliver the kind of coordinated, business-minded counsel that owners and developers in this space need. I look forward to helping build the firm’s data center and energy infrastructure practice and to growing our client relationships across the state and beyond.”Christina received her J.D. from The University of Texas at Austin School of Law, where she served on the editorial board of The Texas Journal of Oil, Gas & Energy Law and The Texas International Law Journal. She received her B.A. and B.S., ampla cum laude, from The University of Texas at Austin. Kelley Drye advises owners, developers, investors, lenders, utilities, and enterprise users on the full lifecycle of data center and energy infrastructure projects — from site selection, capital equipment procurement, and permitting through financing, customs enforcement, construction, leasing, operations, and dispute resolution. With a strategic presence in Houston and Austin, and attorneys and resources across the country, the firm combines nationwide reach with deep Texas relationships and practical depth where it matters most. More information about Kelley Drye’s Data Centers and Energy Infrastructure services can be found at www.kelleydrye.com.

Seasoned Texas enforcement leader bolsters the firm's State AG practice and growing Texas presence September 22, 2026 — Kelley Drye & Warren LLP today announced that Steven Robinson, former Chief of the Consumer Protection Division at the Texas Attorney General's Office, has joined the firm as special counsel. Based in Austin and associated with the firm’s Houston office, Steve's addition further enhances the firm's nationally recognized State Attorneys General practice and deepens its growing Texas footprint."Steve is one of the most accomplished state enforcement attorneys in the country, and we are thrilled to welcome him to our team," said Paul Singer, partner and State Attorneys General practice chair. "His nearly two decades inside the Texas Attorney General's Office gives him an unmatched perspective on how state AGs operate. That kind of insight is invaluable to our clients as they face an increasingly active state enforcement landscape."Steve focuses his practice on state attorneys general investigations, enforcement defense, and consumer protection counseling. He helps clients navigate the full spectrum of state attorneys general matters, from defending investigations and litigation to proactive compliance counseling and strategic advocacy before attorneys general to advance clients' policy objectives.“Texas is a strategic market for many of our clients, and Steve's addition to the firm reflects our continued investment in the state," said Dana Rosenfeld, managing partner of Kelley Drye. “His arrival further strengthens our nationally recognized State AG practice, which includes former Chiefs of Consumer Protection Divisions in Texas and Nebraska. Together, they bring firsthand insight into how state enforcement matters are assessed, investigated, and resolved, helping clients anticipate regulatory risk and navigate complex attorney general investigations in Texas and across the country.”During his tenure at the Texas Attorney General’s Office, Steve served as Chief of the Consumer Protection and Tax Litigation Divisions, handling complex, high stakes matters through trial and managing teams of attorneys. He also worked with the Texas Legislature on major consumer protection legislation, including Texas’ comprehensive privacy law. Through extensive multistate work involving nearly every jurisdiction in the country, Steve has developed deep knowledge of state consumer protection laws and strong relationships with attorneys general offices and enforcement officials nationwide, with experience spanning privacy, drip pricing, and other emerging areas of state enforcement."I'm excited to join Kelley Drye and its outstanding State Attorneys General practice," said Steve. "I look forward to drawing on my experience in enforcement, litigation, and policymaking to help clients navigate the challenges posed by state attorneys general.”Steve earned his J.D. from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law and his B.A. from Mississippi College.Kelley Drye's State Attorneys General practice, nationally ranked by Chambers USA, includes a team of former senior AG staff and seasoned attorneys with decades of enforcement experience, including former heads of state consumer protection divisions. The practice is one of the most established in the country, advising clients on the full range of matters involving state attorneys general. The team counsels companies facing AG investigations, enforcement actions, and multistate litigation, while also helping clients proactively engage with AG offices on emerging regulatory and consumer protection issues. The team's experience spans key enforcement priority areas, including privacy, consumer protection, data security, and emerging state regulatory initiatives. More information about Kelley Drye’s State Attorneys General services can be found at www.kelleydrye.com.