Alston & Bird LLP is skilled in handling complex federal and state cases, specializing in statutes like the Clean Air Act (CAA), Clean Water Act (CWA), RCRA, CERCLA, NEPA, and ESA. Its successes include defending Union Carbide in a major breach of contract case and representing industries like oil & gas, construction, and pharma, along with clients like Chevron U.S.A. and Sterigenics U.S. LLC. The firm also leads high-profile condemnation cases, managing multi-million-dollar natural gas pipeline projects. Notably, Jeffrey Dintzer in Los Angeles and Meaghan Boyd in Atlanta have led significant environmental cases, with Boyd managing high-profile matters for Georgia Power and overseeing complex compliance for UPS across Georgia. Greg Christianson in San Francisco, is a seasoned attorney specializing in Superfund litigation, enforcement defense, and environmental remediation.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
- Profile
Key clients
- Chevron U.S.A, Inc.
- Five Point Holdings
- Heritage Field El Toro
- Sterigenics U.S. LLC
- Union Carbide Corporation
- Schnitzer Steel Industries
- Georgia Power Company
- Union Carbide Corporation
- Westlake
- Ascend Elements
Work highlights
- We are representing Schnitzer Steel and MMGL in connection with sediment contamination at the Portland Harbor Superfund Site, one of the largest Superfund sites in the country, located on a ten-mile stretch of the Willamette River that runs through the Industrial section of Portland, Oregon.
- We serve as lead trial counsel to Sterigenics, a global medical sterilization company on a number of matters, including (1) the high-profile environmental tort litigation by hundreds of plaintiffs against Sterigenics claiming ethylene oxide emissions from its Atlanta facility caused them to develop cancer or their properties to lose value; (2) defending Sterigenics against public nuisance and negligence claims brough by the New Mexico Attorney General over Sterigenics’ New Mexico facility’s ethylene oxide emissions; and (3) the very public multi-plaintiff environmental tort litigation against Sterigenics claiming ethylene oxide emissions from its Vernon, California, facilities caused them to develop cancers.
- We represented Heritage Fields in $4 billion litigation determining whether development of the Orange County Great Park neighborhood would proceed as envisioned when approved in 2003; the Court issued a ruling on cross-motions for summary judgment in favor of Heritage Fields which prevents the County from ever using any of these properties for uses other than institutional, which has great value to Heritage Fields and its partners and the County did not appeal, the ruling is final.
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Practice head
Greg Christianson; Meaghan Boyd
Other key lawyers
Jeffrey Dintzer