Practice Areas:
Environmental Litigation

Practice Overview

Protecting Communities, Public Health & Natural Resources

Wolf Popper’s Environmental Litigation practice is dedicated to advancing compliance with federal environmental laws and protecting communities, public health, and natural resources from unlawful pollution. Our work focuses on enforcing statutory obligations when government action is absent, insufficient, or delayed. The firm represents nonprofit organizations, community groups, and citizens seeking to compel accountability through the courts and ensure adherence to environmental standards that safeguard the public interest.

We draw on the firm’s broader experience in matters involving consumer protection, financial harm, and corporate accountability, including areas that intersect with consumer litigation, securities litigation, and commercial litigation & arbitration.

Leadership

This practice is led by David A. Nicholas, Of Counsel to the firm, who brings more than 30 years of experience representing environmental organizations in federal enforcement actions against major industrial polluters. His work includes landmark matters pursued under federal environmental statutes and has contributed to meaningful reductions in harmful emissions and discharges into air and water systems.

Key Issues We Handle

Wolf Popper’s Environmental Litigation practice includes:

• Citizen suits to enforce compliance with environmental laws
• Violations of the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, and other federal environmental statutes
• Litigation to reduce pollution, prevent environmental harm, and address threats to public health
• Claims against industrial polluters for unlawful emissions, discharges, or environmental contamination
• Actions involving hazardous waste, toxic chemical exposure, polluted waterways, and unsafe air quality
• Matters involving environmental harm that may also affect consumers or investors, which can overlap with corporate transactional & derivative litigation

These cases typically seek injunctive relief, civil penalties, and compliance orders to stop ongoing violations and deter future harm.

Why Environmental Litigation Matters

Congress has empowered citizens to enforce environmental laws when regulatory agencies do not. Under the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, and similar statutes, individuals and organizations are permitted to bring citizen suits to compel compliance and address unlawful pollution. These cases play a critical role in safeguarding communities and ecosystems, particularly in situations where government resources, priorities, or policies limit direct enforcement efforts.

Wolf Popper is committed to ensuring that environmental laws function as intended: to protect public health, preserve natural resources, and prevent unlawful conduct that places communities and the environment at risk.

Our Approach

We work closely with environmental organizations, community groups, and citizens to identify violations, evaluate legal avenues for enforcement, and pursue litigation that promotes compliance with federal environmental standards. Our approach includes:

• Reviewing emissions, discharge, and compliance data to identify statutory violations
• Conducting pre-suit investigations and issuing required statutory notices
• Engaging scientific and environmental experts to support claims
• Pursuing injunctive relief, civil penalties, and compliance measures to remedy and prevent harm

Our objective is to secure outcomes that meaningfully improve environmental conditions, protect public health, and reinforce the rule of law.

Advisory Support for Environmental Concerns

In addition to litigation, Wolf Popper advises nonprofit organizations, advocacy groups, and community stakeholders regarding potential enforcement actions and emerging environmental concerns. We assist with evaluating possible claims, assessing the likelihood of success, and determining the most appropriate enforcement strategy.

When environmental misconduct also results in consumer financial harm or impacts investors and corporate governance, clients may benefit from the firm’s experience in consumer litigation and securities litigation.

Connect With Our Team

If you have concerns regarding potential environmental violations, community health risks, or failure to comply with environmental laws, contact us to assess your situation and determine the most strategic path forward.