Biography

Steve helps clients manage and resolve complex remediation and natural resource damages (NRD) matters under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (Superfund) and similar state statutes imposing liability for hazardous substance releases. 

He also regularly addresses PCB cleanup issues under the Toxic Substances Control Act and helps clients manage corrective action liability under RCRA.

Steve has decades of experience helping clients overcome challenges arising from historical releases of hazardous substances to soil, groundwater, surface water, and sediments at industrial plants, landfills, oil reclamation sites, mining sites, and other kinds of facilities. In addition to his work for individual parties, Steve acts as common counsel to groups of potentially responsible parties at several sites.

Steve has substantial experience not only with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state response agency negotiations and agreements but also with cooperative NRD assessments and negotiations with federal and state natural resource trustees. His work focuses on helping clients proactively prepare for, and then cost-effectively address, government claims for response action, response costs, and NRD.

Before joining the firm in 1987, Steve was with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), where he worked closely with the EPA on CERCLA reauthorization. Prior to his work at DOJ, he clerked for the Nevada Supreme Court.

Education

  • Stanford University  (B.A., 1978)
    • Program in Human Biology, with distinction
  • University of California - Berkeley  (M.P.P., 1982)
  • University of California - Berkeley  (J.D., 1982)

Bar Admissions

  • District of Columbia

Professional Affiliations

  • American Bar Association

Honors & Awards

  • Lexology Client Choice Award (2020)