Adam Sowatzka > McGuireWoods LLP > Atlanta, United States > Lawyer Profile

Clients look to the environmental & mass tort department at McGuireWoods LLP for its experience handling climate change matters relating to air, water, waste and natural resources law. The deep bench fields Benjamin Hatch of the Norfolk office, who is known for representing manufacturing, transport and aerospace clients with regard to environmental law violations, Gregory Evans in Los Angeles, who handles environmental issues within the energy and infrastructure sectors, in addition to Eugene Mathews, who, based in Richmond, is a key contact for clients in the agriculture, waste management and chemicals industries. The Washington DC-based Makram Jaber’s focuses on the Clean Air Act, while over in Atlanta, Adam Sowatzka forms part of the crisis management & incident response team and handles environmental health and safety matters. David Franchina, of the Charlotte office, also navigates matters related to environmental incidents.

McGuireWoods LLP continues to be actively involved in a variety of environmental matters, ranging from site remediation and closure to environmental litigation and due diligence for commercial, energy and real estate transactions. Co-head David Franchina in Charlotte is regularly assisted by fellow co-head Makram Jaber in Washington DC, an expert on the Clean Air Act. Richmond-based counsel Heather Nixon Stevenson is known advising on environmental permitting and compliance matters, as well as business transactions. Atlanta’s Adam Sowatzka recently joined the team from King & Spalding LLP, bringing new expertise in investigations of catastrophic accidents and environmental crisis management matters.

Drawing upon experts from within the firm’s product liability and broader environmental offering, McGuireWoods LLP is well-positioned to represent clients facing down high-profile private mass tort litigation, as well as to advise on accompanying regulatory issues and governmental investigations and enforcement. The firm is also adept at providing a crisis management service in the aftermath of environmental accidents, quickly mobilizing resources to deal with often multi-pronged state and federal regulatory inquiries, as well as ensuing private litigation which invariably occurs in its wake. Atlanta-based Adam Sowatzka excels in this kind of circumstance and has expertise handling environmental matters in all media, including air, water, and waste. Los Angeles-based Gregory Evans, who co-heads the environmental litigation practice alongside Eugene Mathews in Richmond, has excellent trial credentials, including securing recent federal court successes which have helped clarify and affirm key aspects in the US federal environmental laws promoting early cleanup of the environment.

The environmental enforcement and regulatory counselling practice group at McGuireWoods LLP handles compliance, permitting and auditing for land use, natural resources development and energy projects. The team is home to David Franchina, of the Charlotte office, who regularly handles regulatory and compliance for solid and hazardous waste as well as matters related to water and air pollution and Makram Jaber, who is a key contact in Washington DC for his deep experience handling Clean Air Act issues. With the hire of Adam Sowatzka from King & Spalding LLP, whose practice spans across air, water and waste issues, the firm has also strengthened its offering in Atlanta.