Our environmental, chemical and toxic tort practice includes litigation as well as advisory and compliance work. We have served as lead defense counsel in toxic tort cases involving a variety of contaminants in Missouri State and Federal courts. Among the substances at issue are dioxin, asbestos, PCB’s, lead and other heavy metals, and pentachlorophenol. These cases have involved claims of personal injury, including cancer, immune diseases, cognitive and attention deficits, and a wide variety of other illnesses. They have also included claims of property damage, site remediation and claims for medical monitoring.

Lewis, Rice & Fingersh, L.C. has defended a variety of clients in governmental cleanup and cost recovery actions brought under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act in federal courts throughout the country. We have defended private party cost recovery actions under those statutes as well.

In the criminal law area, we regularly represent individuals and companies involved as targets, subjects, or witnesses in criminal environmental investigations. We have defended prosecutions brought under various environmental statutes.

Our regulatory compliance and permitting practice has involved advising clients on issues arising under CERCLA, RCRA, the Clean Water Act, and the Clean Air Act. We have assisted in applications for air, water, and hazardous waste permits for various types of manufacturing, trucking and service industry clients. We are experienced in settlement negotiations, private litigation, regulatory enforcement actions and administrative proceedings before such agencies as the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Environmental Protection Agency Region VII and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. Our clients also regularly utilize our environmental services in connection with real estate acquisitions and other types of corporate transactions, and we counsel our financial institution clients regarding potential environmental liabilities associated with their lending activities.