LINDA HESTER SENIOR COUNSEL PHILLIPS 66 COMPANY Linda Hester is a Senior Counsel with Phillips 66 Company where she is responsible for Health, Safety & Environmental legal matters for five refineries and related business units. She earned her J.D. at Columbia University School of Law where she was Editor In-Chief of the Columbia Journal of Environmental Law. She also holds an LLM specializing in Environmental, Energy and Natural Resources Law from the University of Houston Law Center. Prior to joining Phillips 66 (formerly ConocoPhillips), Linda practiced with several law firms in Washington D.C. and Houston. She has also visited on the law faculty of the University of Houston Law Center. Linda s legal career has focused on environmental and safety issues primarily in the oil & gas industry. She considers this career to be one of the most interesting things one can devote oneself to.
Biography: Bryan Sinclair Enforcement Division Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Bryan Sinclair is Director of the Enforcement Division. He has been with the TCEQ Enforcement Division for 9 years, and has been Director for almost five years. Bryan is a graduate of Texas Tech University. Prior to joining the agency he worked for 20 years as a manager in semiconductor/microelectronics manufacturing and R&D. Contact Information Telephone: (512) 239-2171 E-mail: bsinclair@tceq.texas.gov
Biography: Michael P. Wilson, P.E. Air Permits Division Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Current Position In August 2011, Michael became the director of the Air Permits Division. Prior Experience and Education Michael received a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Engineering from Texas A&M University in December 1991. He began working for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (then the Texas Air Control Board) in January of 1992. He worked in the Air Permitting Division, Mechanical Section where he reviewed New Source Review applications for agricultural sources. In January 2004, Michael became the team leader for the Mechanical and Agricultural Team, and in June 2005, he was promoted to manager of the Mechanical/Agricultural/Construction Section. Michael served as the assistant director of the Air Permits Division from August 2009 to July 2011. He is a licensed professional engineer in Texas. Contact Information Telephone: (512) 239-1922 E-mail: mike.wilson@tceq.texas.gov
PARKER WILSON MANAGING COUNSEL VALERO Parker Wilson is Managing Counsel at Valero and is responsible for health, safety, and environmental regulatory matters relating to petroleum refining, with a particular emphasis in Texas. His practice involves all things air, waste, water, and safety related, including federal and state permitting, enforcement and remediation. Prior to joining Valero in 2002 Parker spent six years as a staff attorney at the TCEQ working in the Air and Waste Sections of the Environmental Law Division. He is a graduate of St. Mary s University.
Peter C. Anderson Mr. Anderson uses his experience as a former federal prosecutor to defend corporations and individuals against government investigations and prosecutions, primarily involving environmental and regulatory crimes. In addition to defense services, he provides corporate compliance counseling. He helps lead the Firm's White Collar and Environmental Crimes Practice Group. 1350 I Street, N.W. Suite 700 Washington, DC 20005-3311 (T) 202-789-6014 (C) 704-756-8800 panderson@bdlaw.com Rutgers University (B.S., summa cum laude, 1986) University of Virginia (J.D., 1991; Member, Virginia Environmental Law Journal) North Carolina U.S. Supreme Court U.S. Courts of Appeals: Fourth Circuit, Sixth Circuit U.S. District Courts: Western, Middle, and Eastern Districts of North Carolina Mr. Anderson s two decades in the federal criminal arena on both sides of the aisle - uniquely qualify him to counsel clients in a wide range of environmental and regulatory crimes matters. After completing his clerkship for the Hon. Graham Mullen, U.S. District Court Judge in W.D.N.C., he was selected into the Honors Program at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., and served as a federal prosecutor in the Environmental Crimes Section. During his tenure, Mr. Anderson received the U.S. Attorney General s Special Achievement Award. In that specialized capacity, he gained trial experience in highly complex prosecutions; developed a deep understanding of all environmental criminal statutes; received invaluable insight into how prosecutor s investigate and evaluate cases; and developed strong relationships with agencies and investigators. Mr. Anderson also served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Western District of North Carolina (Charlotte), where he gained additional trial experience in a variety of broader white collar crime matters. Following his government service, Mr. Anderson has gained invaluable experience in a variety of national law firms, as well as his own boutique federal criminal trial practice. Aside from environmental and regulatory crimes, he has extensive experience defending charges involving all types of fraud (bank; mortgage; mail and wire; healthcare), as well as violations relating to tax, antitrust, securities. Mr. Anderson is an adjunct faculty member at Charlotte School of Law, and regularly speaks and writes on a variety of topics including trial advocacy, federal criminal law, business crimes defense, and corporate compliance counseling.
Robert Brager Mr. Brager, a former Managing of Beveridge & Diamond, P.C., is located in the Firm's Baltimore, Maryland office. He is both a litigator and a counselor. Mr. Brager represents clients in product liability litigation involving alleged toxic torts to land, such as when every day compounds such as gasoline and dry cleaning solvent enter the environment. Mr. Brager also represents companies in all other types of contaminated property litigation, such as cost recovery and natural resource damages litigation under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act and related state laws. 201 North Charles Street Suite 2210 Baltimore, MD 21201-4150 (T) (410) 230-1310 rbrager@bdlaw.com Columbia University (B.A., 1975; magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa) London School of Economics (M.Sc., 1976) Columbia University (J.D., 1979, Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar) State Bars: New York; District of Columbia; Maryland Federal Courts: U. S. Supreme Court; U.S. Courts of Appeals for the, First, Fourth, Fifth, and Tenth Circuits U.S. District Courts: District of Columbia; District of Maryland; Southern, Northern, and Eastern Districts of New York; Southern District of Texas; Northern District of California; District of Colorado Mr. Brager also represents companies in permit, variance, and enforcement proceedings (administrative, civil and criminal) under the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act. He also represents individuals who have been charged with being operators under the Clean Air Act. Mr. Brager also represents clients in a variety of non-environmental litigation, including such diverse subject matters as breach of contract, defamation, and toxic tort. Mr. Brager s counseling practice involves all aspects of environmental compliance, with particular focus on the Clean Air Act. Mr. Brager has extensive experience providing counseling with respect to a number of Clean Air Act regulations, ranging from the Benzene Waste Operations NESHAP and Vinyl Chloride NESHAP, to Refinery MACT and Fiberglass MACT, to New Source Performance Standards for petroleum refineries and storage tanks, to Prevention of Significant Deterioration and Non-Attainment New Source Review. Mr. Brager represents trade associations and companies in rulemaking proceedings under the Clean Air Act (including the air toxics and enforcement sections of that Act) and the Clean Water Act. Mr. Brager lectures and publishes articles on the air toxics, permitting, and enforcement provisions of the Clean Air Act, as well as on cost-effective means of avoiding and defending against enforcement actions and prosecuting and defending cost recovery and natural resource damages litigation. Mr. Brager served as law clerk for Judge Aubrey E. Robinson, Jr. of the United States District Court for the. Mr. Brager has been elected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America, and has also been selected for inclusion in Super Lawyers Edition 2011, 2012 and 2013. PUBLICATIONS Texas Environmental Rule Could Have Nationwide Impact EPA Issues NSR Reform Package
Nadira Clarke Nadira Clarke is a leader of the Firm s White Collar and Environmental Crimes Practice Group. She applies her experience as a former Assistant United States Attorney and trial lawyer with the Department of Justice Environment & Natural Resources Division to manage complex, high-stakes criminal and civil environmental matters for companies and individuals. 1350 I Street, N.W. Suite 700 Washington, DC 20005-3311 (T) (202) 789-6069 (C) (301) 613-8972 nclarke@bdlaw.com Tufts University (B.A., 1988) University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law (J.D., 1992; Ecology Law Quarterly, Executive Editor) Pennsylvania U.S. Court of Appeals, 2nd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, 4th Circuit U.S. Court of Federal Claims LANGUAGES Spanish Ms. Clarke s experience representing the United States as an attorney with the Department of Justice and the United States Attorney s office for the District of Maryland and Eastern District of Virginia enriches her approach to litigation and environmental enforcement matters. Following graduation from law school, she was selected into the U.S. Attorney General s Honor Program at the Department of Justice where she served as a trial attorney with the Environmental Crimes Section and the Natural Resources Section. She handled a broad array of cases both criminal and civil in federal district courts across the country. Based on her distinguished performance, Ms. Clarke was invited to serve as a Special Assistant to the Assistant Attorney General for the Environment & Natural Resources Division where she worked on leading civil and criminal matters impacting national environmental policy. During her time with the government, she developed close relationships within the Department of Justice and other federal agencies, which endure to this day. Ms. Clarke also served as a federal prosecutor with the United States Attorney s Office for the District of Maryland and the Eastern District of Virginia where she gained additional trial experience in a variety of criminal and civil matters, including healthcare fraud, defense procurement fraud, employment, toxic tort, and medical malpractice. Ms. Clarke was selected to serve as a counsel in the Department of Justice s Office of Professional Responsibility where she lead internal investigations into professional misconduct allegations against Assistant United States Attorneys, and other high-level officials. In addressing concerns regarding federal prosecutor s abuse of their charging discretion, Ms. Clarke developed a keen understanding of how prosecutors approach investigations and the factors that influence their charging decisions. She also possesses a deep knowledge of the ethical guidelines against which federal prosecutors are measured.
Edward M. Grauman Edward Grauman is an Associate in the Texas office of Beveridge & Diamond, P.C., with a practice focused on environmental law and complex commercial litigation. Associate 98 San Jacinto Boulevard Suite 1420 Austin, TX 78701-4296 (T) (512) 391-8025 egrauman@bdlaw.com Massachusetts Institute of Technology (S.B./Political Science, 1996; Phi Beta Kappa) Harvard Law School (J.D., 2003, cum laude) Texas New York U.S. District Courts: Southern, Northern and Eastern Districts of New York; District of Colorado U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit American Bar Association, Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources Environmental Law Institute LANGUAGES Spanish Mr. Grauman s recent matters include the defense of a product liability action related to alleged groundwater contamination from a gasoline additive, the representation of a municipality in an arbitration arising from a contract to construct a waste-to-ethanol facility, and the representation of a Canadian federal nuclear laboratory in a challenge to the issuance of letters rogatory by a U.S. federal court. A substantial part of his litigation practice involves the representation of policyholders in insurance coverage disputes. Proficient in Spanish, Mr. Grauman is also a member of the Firm s Latin American practice group, through which he advises clients on environmental legal issues in the region. Mr. Grauman s pro bono work includes obtaining asylum for a client in proceedings before the U.S. Immigration Court and representing a nonprofit organization in litigation challenging regulations promulgated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Mr. Grauman served as a law clerk for the Honorable William H. Walls of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. Prior to joining the Firm, he was a litigation associate at a large international law firm, where he practiced in a variety of areas, including antitrust, contracts, securities, commodities, and anti-corruption law. While at Harvard Law School, Mr. Grauman served as an Executive Editor of the Harvard Human Rights Journal. PUBLICATIONS The Rise of Environmental Insurance Requirements in Latin America, Newsletter of the ABA Section of International Law, International Environmental Law Committee (Oct. Dec. 2012) The Fourth Circuit Wades In: Applying the Rapanos Significant Nexus Test for Clean Water Act Jurisdiction to Wetlands Adjacent to Nonnavigable Tributaries, Eastern Water Law & Policy Reporter (March 2011) Latin American Region Environmental Report Texas Environmental Update
Karen M. Hansen Austin, TX 98 San Jacinto Boulevard Suite 1420 Austin, TX 78701-4296 (T) (512) 391-8040 Washington, DC 1350 I Street, N.W. Suite 700 Washington, DC 20005-3311 (T) (202) 789-6056 khansen@bdlaw.com Trinity University University of Texas School of Law Texas Minnesota American Bar Association Karen M. Hansen s environmental law practice focuses on water law issues including strategic planning, compliance counseling, permitting and enforcement related to federal and state water quality and water use issues, as well as drinking water regulatory programs. Ms. Hansen counsels clients on various aspects of Clean Water Act and state water law regulatory issues including emerging trends in water quality issues as EPA and states seek to impose ever more stringent limits in the absence of promulgated standards. Ms. Hansen maintains a significant practice regarding nutrients and has represented leading trade associations in key nutrients litigation matters in various jurisdictions, including the current challenge to EPA action involving the Mississippi River Basin and Northern Gulf of Mexico. She has assisted clients on a wide variety of water issues involved with hydraulic fracturing, including work related to the EPA Study for Congress that is in progress. Ms. Hansen also assists industrial and municipal clients with programs such as integrated planning, green infrastructure, watershed-based permitting, TMDLs, trading and allocation, and land-based impacts on coastal and ocean resources. She also has extensive experience assisting clients with implementing environmental management systems, including disclosure and corrective action strategies for self-identified noncompliance, and representing clients on inspection and enforcement matters covering a variety of environmental and worker safety programs. Ms. Hansen has practiced in Washington, D.C., Minnesota, and Texas. In addition to serving as a frequent speaker, writer and planner for a variety of environmental law and policy programs, Ms. Hansen has served in elected and appointed roles on numerous state bar and American Bar Association committees and task forces. Ms. Hansen Co-Chairs the B&D Water Law Practice and was the first Chair of the Firm s Diversity Committee from 2006-2012. Ms. Hansen received her law degree from the University of Texas School of Law, where she served as Editor-in-Chief of The Review of Litigation, and her undergraduate degree in Business and Economics from Trinity University (B.A., cum laude). She has received Certificates in Executive and Transformational Leadership at the Georgetown University Center for Professional Development. Ms. Hansen is a member of the District of Columbia Bar, the Minnesota State Bar and the State Bar of Texas.
Madeleine Boyer Kadas Maddie Kadas practices both domestic and international environmental law and is a founder of Beveridge & Diamond's Austin, Texas office and its first Managing Shareholder. 98 San Jacinto Boulevard Suite 1420 Austin, TX 78701-4296 (T) (512) 391-8010 mkadas@bdlaw.com University of Texas (B.A., Phi Beta Kappa, 1988) La Universitá di Firenze, Italy (1987) National Security Endowment Program Graduate Fellow University of Texas (J.D., 1994) La Escuela Libre de Derecho School of Law, Mexico (L.L.M., 1997) Texas American Bar Association Texas Bar Association Maddie represents the Firm's clients on a variety of regulatory and litigation matters under U.S. domestic environmental laws, and has extensive experience in air and waste issues affecting the chemical manufacturing and refining sectors. She regularly manages facility environmental audits, frequently within the context of the Texas Audit Act. Her current domestic portfolio includes several flaring enforcement matters (state and federal levels), a national hazardous waste compliance audit covering more than thirty states and scores of facilities, and defending a citizen s suit under the Clean Air Act. Fluent in Spanish, Maddie also helps clients with compliance and regulatory matters in Latin America. Her current international portfolio includes strategic advice and legal support on first-impression mandatory consumer products take-back programs in Mexico, Brazil and Peru; a pilot project under the Basel Convention on the Transboundary Movement of Waste; and development of strategic advocacy papers on a wide range of take-back and energy efficiency initiatives in Latin America. Maddie provides regulatory tracking services for U.S. and Japanese trade associations on pending Latin American initiatives affecting the electronics sector. She chairs the Latin American Practice Group. Before joining Beveridge & Diamond, Maddie was a staff attorney with the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC) (now the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality) and represented the Executive Director in contested cases relating to low-level radioactive and industrial hazardous waste permits. Maddie is a graduate of the University of Texas School of Law. She is one of a handful of U.S. attorneys to receive a post-graduate degree from La Escuela Libre de Derecho School of Law, Mexico's premier law school, where she wrote and defended a thesis on Mexico's hazardous waste and remediation standards. From 1988-1990, she served in the United States Peace Corps in Guatemala. She is a frequent writer and speaker on the subject of domestic and international environmental law.
Laura L. LaValle 98 San Jacinto Boulevard Suite 1420 Austin, TX 78701-4296 (T) (512) 391-8020 llavalle@bdlaw.com Duke University (B.A., 1984) University of Florida College of Law (J.D., 1987) Florida Texas American Bar Association (Environment, Energy and Resources Section) State Bar of Texas (Environmental and Natural Resources Law Section) Austin Bar Association (Environmental Law Section) Laura LaValle is the Managing and a founder of Beveridge & Diamond s Texas office, and is Co-Chair of the Firm s Air Practice Group. Her practice has focused on Clean Air Act matters for the past eighteen years. Ms. LaValle s air quality experience includes advising and representing entities on a broad range of permitting, compliance, and policy issues. She has represented chemical manufacturing operations, electric utilities, petroleum refineries, municipal solid waste landfills, steel manufacturing facilities, mining operations, municipal waste combustors, trade associations, and other facility types regarding federal and state permitting and compliance issues, including New Source Review and Title V permitting. Ms. LaValle has experience representing individual entities and trade associations on federal and state policy issues. She advises clients regarding compliance audits, provides counsel and representation on enforcement matters, and represents regulated entities in administrative hearings. Ms. LaValle also provides counsel regarding solid waste matters, including air and waste permitting for municipal solid waste landfills. Before entering private practice, Ms. LaValle served as an Assistant Attorney General in the Natural Resources Division of the Office of the Attorney General of Texas. She also worked for the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission, where she rose from the position of staff attorney in the Air Quality Section to senior attorney. Upon graduation from law school, Ms. LaValle served as a Judge Advocate in the United States Air Force. As a Judge Advocate, she acquired extensive litigation experience prosecuting military criminal trials by court-martial and representing the Air Force in administrative hearings. Her Air Force practice also included providing counsel on environmental issues and assistance with environmental compliance audits at various Air Force bases. Ms. LaValle is a member of the State Bar of Texas, the Florida Bar, the Bar, the American Bar Association, and the Austin Bar Association. She previously served as a member of the State Bar of Texas Public and Administrative Law Council. She studied piano performance at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music before transferring to Duke University, from which she received a B.A. in political science. She was awarded a J.D. from the University of Florida College of Law, where she was a member of and assistant articles editor for the University of Florida Law Review.
Laura K. McAfee Ms. McAfee is a in Beveridge & Diamond's Baltimore office, Co-Chair of the Oil & Gas Practice Group, and former Chair of the Firm's Air Practice Group. Her practice is devoted primarily to Clean Air Act matters, including both environmental counseling and litigation. Ms. McAfee has represented natural gas companies, petroleum refineries, chemical companies, trade associations, manufacturing companies, and others in a wide range of permitting and compliance issues under the Clean Air Act and comparable state laws. 201 North Charles Street Suite 2210 Baltimore, MD 21201-4150 (T) (410) 230-1330 lmcafee@bdlaw.com Carleton College (B.A., magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, 1988) University of Texas (J.D., Order of the Coif, 1991) Maryland Colorado (currently inactive) New Mexico (currently inactive) American Bar Association Maryland State Bar Association She currently assists several refineries and chemical companies in their Clean Air Act compliance efforts, including the Benzene NESHAP, flaring, LDAR, a variety of NSPS and MACT standards, and permitting issues under the Title V and NSR programs. She is actively involved in advising and litigating on behalf of companies subjected to administrative, civil, and criminal enforcement actions under the Clean Air Act, including responding to numerous 114 information requests, defending companies targeted by EPA's national enforcement initiatives, successfully defending alleged criminal violations of the Benzene Waste Operations NESHAP, and obtaining dismissal of several citizens' suits. She has also assisted a number of natural gas companies in both their compliance efforts and enforcement defense, including wellsite permitting, compliance with MACT Subpart HH/HHH and NSPS Subparts GG, KKK, and OOOO, PSD permitting and source aggregation issues, 114 responses, and negotiations with state and federal agencies. Ms. McAfee also advises clients on facility assessment and audit issues under the EPA audit privilege and state audit laws. Ms. McAfee has also been involved in various safety-related compliance and litigation matters, ranging from worker exposure issues to electrical injuries. Ms. McAfee rejoined the firm in 2001 after several years with Colorado Interstate Gas Company, where she managed environmental compliance matters related to natural gas production, processing, storage, and transmission throughout the Rocky Mountain region, along with assisting various other refining and field services divisions of The Coastal Corporation. Major issues included multi-state compliance auditing, PSD, Title V, MACT Standards, NSPS, PCBs/mercury, CERCLA/EPCRA reporting hazardous and solid waste issues, site remediation, OSHA/PSM matters.
Bryan J. Moore 98 San Jacinto Boulevard Suite 1420 Austin, TX 78701-4296 (T) (512) 391-8030 bmoore@bdlaw.com The University of Alabama (B.A., Geology magna cum laude, 1997; Phi Beta Kappa) Tulane Law School (J.D., Certificate in Environmental Law, magna cum laude, 2000; Order of the Coif; Phi Delta Phi) Texas Maryland U.S. District Courts: Eastern, Western, Northern and Southern Districts of Texas; U.S. Courts of Appeals: Fifth Circuit; District of Columbia Circuit American Bar Association Texas Bar Association Austin Bar Association Air and Waste Management Association Bryan Moore s practice includes a wide range of environmental matters, from waste, water, and air permitting and compliance counseling, to enforcement defense and litigation. In matters arising under nearly every major federal and Texas environmental program, Bryan has represented clients in federal and state courts and before various agencies, such as the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and the Railroad Commission of Texas. Bryan is a member of the Firm's Management Committee, and Chair of the Waste Management & Recycling practice group. In addition to permitting and enforcement matters, Bryan has assisted clients in rulemaking proceedings and in preparing comments on proposed agency rules at both the state and federal level. Bryan has also counseled clients on environmental audit issues, under both the Texas audit law and federal policy. Bryan has extensive experience in contested permitting proceedings and enforcement actions, and represents clients in each phase of those matters, from the agency process, to the administrative hearing, and ultimately before the applicable state or federal court to which an appeal may be taken. Bryan has argued cases in forums ranging from the D.C. Circuit to the Texas State Office of Administrative Hearings. Although his litigation practice has included various types of matters, Bryan s core substance matter expertise is in solid waste permitting, regulation, and enforcement. In that area, Bryan has litigated numerous contested permitting matters resulting in expansions of solid waste landfill facilities throughout Texas, and has represented clients in RCRA enforcement proceedings in multiple EPA regions. While at Tulane Law School, Bryan served as Editor in Chief of the Tulane Environmental Law Journal, and was a recipient of the Haber Joseph McCarthy Environmental Law Award. At the University of Alabama, he was a recipient of the school s Legacy Environmental Scholarship. Professional Highlights Bryan is recognized in the 2011-2013 editions of Chambers USA as a "Leading Individual" in environmental law. He was elected by his peers for inclusion in the 2012-2013 editions of The Best Lawyers in America. He is also recognized in the Legal 500 U.S., 2011, and has been named a "Texas Rising Star" by Super Lawyers in 2007-2009, and 2011-2013.
Benjamin F. Wilson 1350 I Street, N.W. Suite 700 Washington, DC 20005-3311 (T) (202) 789-6023 bwilson@bdlaw.com Dartmouth College (A.B./History, magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa,1973) Harvard University (J.D., 1976) Georgia (1976) (1978) American Bar Association Life Member, Fellows of the American Bar Foundation National Bar Association Chairman, Board of Elections and Ethics of the District of Columbia (1990-2002) Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights & Urban Affairs National Environmental Justice Advisory Council Member, Northwestern Mutual Board of Trustees Member, Environmental Law Institute Board of Directors Former Member, The Nature Conservancy Board of Trustees (Maryland/DC Chapter) The Environmental Forum profile, The Defender Benjamin F. Wilson is the Managing of Beveridge & Diamond, P.C. He joined the Firm as a in 1986 and has been a past member of the Firm s Management Committee and past Chairman of the Litigation Practice Group. His present litigation practice encompasses a wide range of activities in both state and federal courts, including commercial litigation matters and environmental litigation, matters. He has been lead counsel in several complex environmental litigation matters for major corporations and developers, having served as lead counsel at the largest chromium site in the United States. Mr. Wilson is highly sought after by his clients, due in large part to the remarkable success he has enjoyed in a wide range of environmental litigation and regulatory matters on behalf of a major retailer, oil companies and communications companies. Mr. Wilson also has represented a number of cities and local government agencies on Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act enforcement and wetlands development matters including: the City of New Orleans; the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans; the Water and Sewer Authority; the Metropolitan Water District of Greater Chicago; the San Antonio Water System; and the City of New Haven, Connecticut, among others. Mr. Wilson is experienced in dealing with cases involving the impact of the filling of wetlands and the obligations to comply with federal and state environmental laws. Specifically, he has become involved in both regulatory and litigation issues arising out of the filling of wetlands as part of the expansion of airports and stadium projects. He has served as lead counsel in numerous Superfund cases and on environmental audits and assessments pertaining to the sale of corporations and their assets. In 2011, Mr. Wilson was featured in an article entitled Powering Up: A Look at the First Generation of Minority Managing Partners in Diversity & The Bar magazine. In 2010, Mr. Wilson was named to the Board of Directors of the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company. He was also elected to the Board of Directors of the Environmental Law Institute. In 2012, Mr. Wilson was elected to serve on the Board of Trustees of Dartmouth College. He is an Adjunct Professor of Environmental Law at the Howard University School of Law. Mr. Wilson is a former member of the Board of Trustees of the Maryland/DC Chapter of The Nature Conservancy. In 2012, Mr. Wilson was named among the "Outstanding Leaders in Law" honorees by the Daily Record's Leadership in Law Program. He also received the Wiley A. Branton Award for outstanding achievement in civil rights law from the National Bar Association. In 2009 he received the same award from the Washington Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Development. Mr. Wilson was also named one of the 100 Most Influential Black Lawyers in the Nation by On Being A Black Lawyer. In 2009, the Environmental Leadership Program also honored Mr. Wilson during its program A Celebration of Leadership: Remembering Dr. King's Environmental Legacy with Benjamin Wilson. In 2008, Mr. Wilson founded the Diverse Partners Network and in 2010 formed the African American Managing Partners Network. Mr. Wilson was named to the 2013 edition of Best Lawyers and is AV Peer Review Rated.