G&E’s environmental litigation group represents sovereigns and public entities, as well as individuals and businesses significantly injured by the misconduct of industrial polluters, gas and utility companies, and chemical manufacturers and suppliers. The group focuses on natural resource damages caused by the production and distribution of hazardous chemicals as well as environmental catastrophes arising out of the negligence of corporations.
G&E’s environmental litigation group recently represented the City of Baltimore and Baltimore County, Maryland in litigation against Monsanto arising out of its production, marketing, distribution, and sale of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), resulting in widespread environmental contamination, including substantial impairment of major waterbodies. Baltimore and Baltimore County served as class representatives in this nationwide class action on behalf of municipalities dealing with longstanding PCB contamination issues. A $550 million settlement was reached. Additionally, G&E reached a $52 million settlement with Monsanto on behalf of the District of Columbia related to PCB contamination of public waterbodies, as well as a $23.6 million settlement on behalf of the State of New Mexico.
G&E currently represents States and municipalities seeking recovery for extensive injuries to natural resources, including water bodies, groundwater, drinking water supplies, fish and wildlife, soil, air, and other resources, caused by toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), including PFAS discharged from manufacturing facilities as well as PFAS-containing aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) utilized in connection with certain firefighting exercises, and a variety of volatile organic compounds used in industrial manufacturing processes. Working with the Delaware Department of Justice, G&E secured the state’s largest-ever environmental damages recovery—up to $75 million—in a historic pre-suit settlement with DuPont defendants following an extensive PFAS contamination investigation
G&E obtained a $143 million settlement in a class action representing residents and businesses harmed by the catastrophic gas explosions in Merrimack Valley, Massachusetts, caused by the negligence of Columbia Gas and NiSource. The Firm served as court-appointed Co-Lead counsel and Chair of the Insurance Committee in this litigation. The Firm also represents victims of the Paradise, California Wildfires, which devastated lives of thousands of people and destroyed thousands of buildings—plaintiffs allege that the wildfires were sparked by aging, unsafe electrical infrastructure maintained by Pacific Gas & Electric. G&E recently filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of a group of local businesses devastated by catastrophic dam failures in Michigan that caused major flooding and forced mass evacuations in locations across Midland, Gladwin and Saginaw Counties. The lawsuit against the dams’ owners alleges years of failure to maintain the structures.
Moreover, attorneys at G&E have represented hundreds of families injured by environmental contaminants, including radon, arsenic, and rocket fuel, resulting in significant multi-million dollar settlements. G&E attorneys have experience representing clients in actions such as an MTBE water contamination class action, class action litigation involving hydrogen sulfide off-gassing in residential homes, bacterial water contamination, and emissions of welding fumes, diesel fumes and hard metals during manufacturing operations. Additionally, should a corporation seek to avoid responsibility by filing bankruptcy, G&E has extensive experience in litigation arising out of major bankruptcies and other insolvency matters. Our attorneys combine their sophisticated complex-litigation skills with a practiced understanding of the Bankruptcy Code and other applicable insolvency laws to seek and obtain substantial recoveries for clients through the reorganization process.
A leader in plaintiff-side litigation, G&E’s skilled attorneys have the experience and reputation to litigate against some of the world’s largest corporations and deliver strong results on behalf of our clients. If you are a referring attorney who would like to discuss a potential matter, please contact Kyle McGee, Elizabeth Graham, or Adam Gomez.
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