Biography

Morgan specializes in environmental compliance counseling and environmental litigation.

For more than 35 years, Morgan has represented defendants in complex environmental regulatory and litigation matters involving industrial and commercial facilities, oil refineries, mining sites, and agricultural chemicals. He also regularly advises clients on Clean Air Act permitting and enforcement, and California's cap-and-trade and low-carbon fuel standard regulations.  Morgan has provided long-term counseling to clients regarding four Superfund sites in Silicon Valley, and he has extensive experience with brownfields redevelopment. Morgan has tried cases involving alleged PCE, hexavalent chromium, and petroleum contamination.

Morgan’s experience at the firm includes:

  • Advising clients regarding the law related to climate change, including California’s Cap-and-Trade regulation and Low Carbon Fuel Standard, and state and federal Mandatory Reporting Regulations
  • Representing clients in federal and state enforcement actions, litigation and administrative proceedings under the Clean Air Act, CERCLA, EPCRA, the Clean Water Act, and state law
  • Providing advice regarding the environmental aspects of real estate transactions, including due diligence, purchase and sale of contaminated properties, and contracting
  • Prosecuting and defending citizen suit claims under federal and state environmental law, including RCRA, Clean Water Act, and Proposition 65
  • Representing clients in cases involving soil and groundwater contamination, and toxic tort and property damage cases
  • Representing clients in federal and state courts and before government agencies, including the US EPA, Regional Water Quality Control Boards, Air Quality Management Districts, and city and county agencies

Education

  • Amherst College  (B.A., 1980)
  • Yale Law School  (J.D., 1986)
    • Executive Editor, Yale Journal on Regulation

Bar Admissions

  • California

Court Admissions

  • U.S. District Court – Northern District of California
  • U.S. District Court – Eastern District of California
  • U.S. District Court - Central District of California
  • U.S. District Court – Southern District of California
  • U.S. Court of Appeals - Ninth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals – Tenth Circuit

Professional Affiliations

  • Bar Association of San Francisco
  • Served as a Judge Pro Tem in the Contra Costa Superior Court
  • Taught environmental law as an adjunct professor at University of California, Hastings College of the Law
  • Guest Speaker, U.C. Berkeley Extension CERCLA/RCRA course (1994–1997)

Honors & Awards

  • California Lawyer, California Lawyer of the Year in Environmental Law (2012)
  • Best Lawyers®, Lawyer of the Year in environmental litigation for the San Francisco metropolitan area (2013)
  • The Best Lawyers in America©, a Best Lawyers® publication, recognition in Environmental Law (2013-2025)
  • Chambers and Partners – USA, Band 3 in Environmental Law (2024)
  • Super Lawyers, part of Thomson Reuters, Northern California Super Lawyer (2004-2024)