Mike is the leader of the firm’s Environmental Practice Group, and has a broad-based environmental and energy-based practice, with a focus on addressing environmental issues in business transactions, regulatory compliance counseling and permitting,
administrative, civil, and criminal environmental defense, and remediation-based project oversight and assistance.
A large part of Mike’s practice focuses on assisting regional, national, and international clients with regulatory
compliance and remedial matters. His experience includes counseling corporate and facility-based management on operational compliance programs and permitting pursuant to local, State and Federal requirements and disclosure obligations, including the
Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (“RCRA”), Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, and other environmental statutes and regulations. In addition, Mike has substantial experience
in overseeing small to large-scale, multi-faceted remedial projects, including those pursuant to the New York State ("NYS") Spills Program, the NYS Brownfields Program, the NYS Inactive Hazardous Waste Disposal Site Remedial Program, RCRA, and the
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act ("CERCLA"). As part of these representations, Mike has negotiated a number of State and Federal Orders and Decrees with various agencies, including the NYS Department of Environmental
Conservation, United States Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Department of Justice.
As part of his involvement in business transactions, Mike counsels strategic and financial parties on a wide range of issues, including
due diligence matters; legacy impairment and compliance liabilities and considerations; Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) matters; the negotiation of sophisticated the negotiation of environmental-related provisions and requirements
in purchase and acquisition agreements, distributor and supplier agreements, leases and other contractual arrangements; the use of environmental insurance and risk transfer products; compliance with State transfer act program requirements; the use
of tax-credit based programs, including the USEPA’s Brownfields Program and the NYS Brownfields Program; and, sustainability-based initiatives and requirements.
Mike regularly assists renewable project developers on a wide range of
permitting, regulatory compliance, and risk assessment issues. In particular, he has assisted a number of clients on the siting of projects on brownfield and former landfill sites, providing counsel on the wide range of issues to be addressed and
considered in doing so.
Mike also has significant experience representing clients during State and Federal administrative, civil, and criminal investigations and proceedings regarding alleged violations of environmental statutes and regulations.
His experience defending enforcement actions includes assisting clients with internal investigations and audits, directing and overseeing sophisticated third-party environmental professionals, legal and regulatory application and analysis, and interaction
with regulatory authorities.
Mike is a member of the Board of Directors of Hodgson Russ.
