Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner

Energy, Environment and Infrastructure

Partner - Corporate and Finance Transactions

Office Managing Partner- San Francisco

PFAS Team Leader

Thomas Lee is a Partner in the firm's Energy, Environment and Infrastructure Practice Group, and is a trusted advisor to clients on a range of environmental topics. Tom regularly works with clients in a variety of industries including real estate investment and development, food and agriculture, retail and consumer products, and chemical manufacturing and distribution.

Tom's practice focuses on three main areas: transactional work, compliance counseling, and enforcement defense. In his transactional work he represents buyers and sellers of real estate and corporate entities that are impacted by environmental conditions or related liability, with a particular focus on brownfield acquisition and redevelopment. Tom takes projects from initial due diligence, through contract drafting, closing, and post-closing remediation and regulatory closure, all with an eye towards balancing the costs and risks posed by the environmental conditions. Tom also provides compliance counseling to ensure clients’ continued compliance, especially in the face of changing regulations. He regularly works with a network of environmental consultants to conduct facility audits where necessary, and to prepare and submit permit applications, and correct non-compliant conditions. Finally, Tom represents clients in enforcement actions under the Clean Air Act, California Air District rules, California Air Resource Board regulations, California’s Proposition 65, California’s Green Chemistry Initiative, and TSCA.

Tom is the founder and leader of the firm’s PFAS Team and his deep understanding of the ever-changing PFAS regulatory environment has made him a trusted counselor for companies evaluating their PFAS risk in transactional, regulatory, and litigation contexts. Tom is also the founder and editor of the firms’ Emerging Contaminants/Emerging Solutions blog, and writes and presents at conferences and webinars on a variety of topics including California’s Proposition 65, and the developing regulation of PFAS.

CIVIC INVOLVEMENT & HONORS 2022, 2024 JDSupra Readers Choice Awards Top Author, Environmental Recognized by The Best Lawyers in America© 2021 "Ones to Watch" Report for Environmental Law Recognized as a Super Lawyers Northern California "Rising Star" for business litigation and environmental law from 2016-present. No more than 2.5 percent of California lawyers are named to Super Lawyers’ list of "Rising Stars." Bar Association of San Francisco Wellness Committee United Way of the Bay Area: Koko Campaign Winner in 2012 and 2013 for fundraising; Awarded 2013 Koko Campaign Top Banana for best overall campaign coordinator.