Rob Bilott(513) 357-9638bilott@taftlaw.com A seasoned and internationally recognized litigator, advocate, and author, Rob has handled and led some of the most novel and complex cases in the country involving damage from exposure to PFAS, including the first individual, class action, mass tort, and multi-district litigation proceedings involving PFAS, recovering over $1 billion for clients impacted by the chemicals. He has gained international prominence in connection with uncovering and disclosing the world-wide impact of environmental contamination by PFAS. His story is chronicled in his book, “Exposure: Poisoned Water, Corporate Greed, and One Lawyer’s Twenty-Year Battle against DuPont,” and is the inspiration for the feature film, “Dark Waters” and documentary, “The Devil We Know.” Rob currently serves in key leadership positions in on-going PFAS litigation all across the country, including national plaintiffs’ Advisory Counsel in thousands of cases consolidated in on-going multi-district litigation involving PFAS in certain firefighting foams, in addition to being class counsel for millions of people seeking medical monitoring and health studies on PFAS. | Frank Deveau(317) 713-3520fdeveau@taftlaw.com For over 35 years, Frank has represented clients in relation to all aspects of environmental law. He serves as chair of Taft’s Environmental Practice and has significant experience advising or representing clients in a wide range of matters including PFAS, environmental litigation, environmental compliance and permitting, administrative proceedings, environmental and real estate transactions, insurance recovery, and Superfund/CERCLA. |
Philip Comella(312) 836-4112pcomella@taftlaw.com Phil’s practice spans both regulatory counseling and environmental-based litigation. With nearly four decades of experience in environmental law and a focus on the solid and hazardous waste industry, he regularly counsels owners and operators of landfills, treatment facilities, recycling operations, and waste generators on compliance, enforcement, and litigation matters arising under the environmental laws He has worked on a number of precedent-setting lawsuits involving the alleged contamination of private and public drinking water supplies with PFAS-containing landfill leachate; counseled clients on PFAS compliance, and represented landfills in PFAS enforcement actions. | Chase Dressman(513) 357-9406cdressman@taftlaw.com Chase has worked for more than a decade on PFAS-related matters, including with groundbreaking environmental attorneys at Taft responsible for precedent-setting PFAS decisions and outcomes, including the seminal work of Rob Bilott and other Taft team members on major PFAS contamination and exposure cases that were detailed in the motion picture “Dark Waters.” Chase routinely advises clients with managing PFAS implications for product sourcing and supply decisions (including related contractual and transactional considerations), and with responding to and managing demands for investigation and remediation of PFAS contamination. |
Kimberly DalSanto(317) 713-9459kdalsanto@taftlaw.com Kimberly concentrates her practice in the fields of commercial, civil, and environmental litigation. She has significant experience guiding clients on environmental compliance matters involving state and federal environmental laws (e.g., RCRA, Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, Indiana’s ELA, and CERCLA), issues pertaining to the transfer of contaminated or potentially contaminated property, and assisting in the recovery of insurance when issues of environmental legal liability arise. She utilizes her litigation skills to assist her clients in defending enforcement actions, responding to agency requests, and other administrative disputes, including representing clients in permitting appeals. | Michael Meyer(513) 357-9655mmeyer@taftlaw.com Michael is an experienced litigator and trial lawyer and represents clients in civil matters in state and federal courts across Ohio, Indiana, and in multiple other jurisdictions nationwide. He has considerable experience representing manufacturers in a variety of industries in cases involving product liability and personal injury claims. He has also represented clients in the commercial development and construction industries in matters involving construction defect and delay claims. Michael also counsels clients in a wide range of commercial and industrial settings on issues involving insurance coverage for a variety of claims under general commercial liability policies. |
Erica Spitzig(513) 357-9310espitzig@taftlaw.com Erica has significant experience representing clients on Clean Water Act matters, and has worked extensively with municipalities on clean water legal and regulatory issues. She also represents clients on a wide array of environmental matters. She assists clients with permitting and compliance involving a variety of media and statutes, including the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Federal Insecticide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), among other federal, state and local environmental laws. Erica also has extensive experience with Brownfields laws and regulations, and works with clients to remediate properties contaminated by long histories of industrial use under CERCLA and state laws, including the Ohio Voluntary Action Program. She also routinely litigates environmental cases in state and federal court, including matters involving RCRA, CERCLA, and other state and federal environmental laws. | David Butler(614) 334-6167dbutler@taftlaw.com David is a business trial lawyer with extensive experience in complex civil litigation, mass tort class actions and multi-district litigations. He concentrates his practice in federal court, representing companies in a wide range of nuanced, commercial and mass tort legal matters. David also routinely serves as local counsel in federal court. |
Kodi Verhalen(612) 977-8591kverhalen@taftlaw.com Kodi provides clients with strategic and business-minded solutions across many areas of environmental regulation. She counsels clients on environmental due diligence as part of business transactions; provides general environmental compliance assistance across all environmental media; assists in developing strategies around environmental management systems; manages a portfolio of discontinued operation sites with environmental contamination across the United States for a multinational company; represents a group of companies performing remediation activities at a federal Superfund site; assists clients in navigating environmental enforcement actions, self-reporting, and voluntary cleanup or remediation programs; and counsels clients on a variety of natural resource law issues. | William C. Wagner(317) 713-3614WWagner@taftlaw.com Bill is widely recognized as an accomplished and successful trial attorney. He has substantial experience with matters involving environmental law, mass torts, class actions, defense of enforcement actions by federal and state agencies, and insurance coverage and cost recovery actions. Bill has extensive experience trying and winning cases involving complex, scientific issues in civil and criminal trials in federal and state courts, administrative hearings, and arbitrations throughout the country. |
Arthur Siegal(248) 727-1452asiegal@taftlaw.com For over 35 years Arthur has represented clients dealing with all aspects of environmental law including governmental regulations, permitting, and compliance, assisting clients in corporate and real estate acquisitions with assessing and managing liabilities, and helping clients obtain brownfield redevelopment incentives. | Ina Avalon(216) 706-3882iavalon@taftlaw.com Ina focuses her practice on regulatory, litigation, and transactional matters relating to energy and environmental law. Her environmental experience includes assisting clients with environmental permitting and regulatory matters under federal, state, and local laws; transactional due diligence; and site remediation and development projects. |
Andrew Dosdall(612) 977-8305adosdall@taftlaw.com Andy practices primarily in the areas of business, employment and real estate litigation and has experience litigating real estate, shareholder, business and employment disputes through all phases, including trial. | Will Gardner(317) 713-3562 wgardner@taftlaw.com Will works with large multinational companies, as well as small and midsize businesses, on environmental compliance and permitting matters. He defends clients involved in environmental enforcement actions, government investigations, and third party lawsuits related to compliance with environmental laws. Will routinely advises clients involved in traditional and alternative energy production; petroleum refining; biogas production; solid and hazardous waste collection, processing, and recycling; public and private water and wastewater utility services; medical device manufacturing; and automobile and auto parts manufacturing, among others. |
Ryan Rudich(312) 836-4078rrudich@taftlaw.com Ryan has a diverse environmental practice that includes representing companies in complex environmental litigation, government enforcement actions, and CERCLA cost recovery and contribution cases. He represents clients in state and federal courts and before environmental agencies in Illinois and across the United States. He regularly counsels companies on compliance with state and federal environmental laws and regulations, assists clients with internal investigations, and provides guidance on responding to information requests. Ryan has worked extensively for clients in the manufacturing, waste, recycling, and environmental services industries. | John Huldin(317) 713-4426jhuldin@taftlaw.com John focuses his practice on a wide variety of environmental matters including insurance cost recovery, environmental regulation and environmental litigation. In addition to his regulatory and litigation practice, he has experience with corporate transactions and due diligence. |
Zakariah Kulam(317) 713-3445ZKulam@taftlaw.com Zakariah focuses his practice on environmental law, including environmental litigation and regulation. He has substantial experience representing corporate clients in litigation and administrative proceedings. | Ted Motztmotz@taftlaw.com Ted is an associate in Chicago’s Environmental group. He brings a wide breadth of experience to his practice from multiple experiences at varying branches of federal and state government. |
Olivia Rangaswami (312) 836-4151ORangaswami@taftlaw.com Olivia is an associate in Taft’s Environmental practice group representing clients in a range of matters including environmental compliance, permitting, and due diligence. | Clayton Smith(513) 357-9485cjsmith@taftlaw.com Clayton counsels a diverse range of clients on environmental compliance, permitting, and litigation matters. |
Thomas Sokolowski(317) 713-3439tsokolowski@taftlaw.com Thomas focuses his practice on environmental law, including environmental regulation, compliance, permitting, litigation, and real estate due diligence. | William Sweet(317) 713-9551 wsweet@taftlaw.com William’s practice focuses on environmental law, including litigation. He has experience working closely with clients to obtain optimal results, and recognizes when settlement is preferable to litigation. |
Jack Hawkins(513) 357-8798jhawkins@taftlaw.com Jack is an associate in Taft’s Cincinnati office and focuses his practice on all aspects of environmental law. His blended background in business, engineering, and environmental law gives him the ability to provide creative solutions when advising and representing clients. |