Paul Hastings Hire Top Litigation Lawyer
One of the leading environmental litigation lawyers in the US, Brian D. Israel, has joined Paul Hastings LLP as a partner and co-head of the firm’s environmental litigation practice.
He has particular expertise in handling complex environmental litigation, particularly in the areas of Natural Resource Damages claims and major environmental incidents involving Fortune 500 companies.
Israel served as lead counsel to BP for environmental issues related to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. He oversaw all legal and evidentiary aspects of the Natural Resource Damages (NRD) matters and was one of the lead attorneys at the Clean Water Act (CWA) penalty trial.
He also acted as lead counsel for Honeywell International,when he successfully negotiated a precedent-setting settlement for NRD claims at Onondaga Lake, one of the largest Superfund sites in the United States.
And he represented Dow Chemical as lead NRD counsel and successfully negotiated a consent decree resolving Dow’s NRD liability at this site outside of Midland, Michigan.
His practice focuses on key environmental issues including:
- Crisis management and counseling, including climate issues
- Federal and state environmental enforcement matters
- Natural Resource Damages (NRD) claims
Israel is recognized as a leading expert in NRD claims and has co-authored a definitive treatise on the subject.
He is also co-editor of a recent ABA publication on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues.
Before joining Paul Hastings, Israel chaired the environmental practice group at Arnold & Porter and co-led the firm’s ESG working group.
At his new firm, Paul Hastings, he will co-chair the environmental litigation practice alongside Navi Dhillon.
Prior to private practice, Israel served as an Honors Trial Attorney in the Environmental Enforcement Section of the U.S. Department of Justice where he handled high-profile cases and litigated claims on behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under various environmental acts.
Frank Lopez, Chair of Paul Hastings, expressed enthusiasm about Israel joining the firm, noting that his addition further strengthens their position as a leader in environmental litigation.
