Environment and Sustainability

Winston & Strawn has a broad practice defending toxic tort and other environmental claims alleging both bodily injury and property damage. These include class actions and mass tort suits, as well as individual claims. Our work in this area covers a wide range of industries and products such as manufacturing, chemicals, food production, aerospace, pharmaceuticals, steel, tobacco, asbestos, building materials, oil and gas, and paint. We handle lawsuits involving the entire spectrum of allegedly hazardous substances and materials, including volatile and semi-volatile compounds, specialty chemicals, pesticides, heavy metals, plasticizers, oxidizers, and radioactive wastes. Our lawyers defend claims spanning diverse environmental media and exposures through soil and groundwater contamination, air pollution, workplace exposures, and product liability claims.

Winston & Strawn attorneys also have a broad understanding of the scientific and technical issues that are often crucial to the outcome of a case. We have experience in areas such as toxicology, epidemiology, risk assessment, geochemistry and hydrogeology, remediation engineering, medical causation, and real estate appraisal. Our lawyers work hand-in-hand with some of the country's most well-respected experts in these fields to build the strongest case possible for the client, while at the same time exposing weaknesses in the opposing experts' opinions. This includes efforts to exclude expert testimony before trial through Daubert or Frye motions.

Our experience also extends to insurance coverage matters. We have represented insureds seeking coverage from their carriers for defense and indemnity arising from toxic tort claims involving chemical contamination, lead paint, asbestos, and federal and state statutory cleanup liabilities. Our efforts have resulted in the substantial reimbursement of defense costs on an ongoing basis, as well as significant reductions in out-of-pocket payments by clients for settlements or judgments.