Megan Brillault Discusses the Role of Historical Research in Environmental Litigation with Reuters

Principal Megan Brillault (New York) spoke with Reuters about how historical research can shape environmental litigation.

The article, “In litigation, when AI falls short historians step in," explains how attorneys partner with professional historians to locate records that are unavailable online, helping clients resolve questions about historical operations, ownership, and liability. These specialists uncover information from archives, historical records, and other sources that often prove essential in environmental matters.

Megan highlighted one case in which she worked with a historical research firm to defend a client facing potential liability for contamination at a California landfill. After tracing decades-old records and locating the attorney who handled a 1990s asset purchase, the team recovered electronic deal documents from an old computer. Those documents confirmed the client's claims, helping them avoid a significant environmental settlement.

"That's the needle-in-the-haystack story," Megan told Reuters. "We found the needle."

Beveridge & Diamond’s Superfund, Site Remediation, and Natural Resources Damages practice group assists clients in litigation and allocation at CERCLA sites, including complex, large-scale sites. We counsel clients on evolving case law and requirements under CERCLA and similar state laws. For more information, please contact the authors.