Founded by Jeff Sepesi, Environmental Law and Science, PLLC provides environmental law services informed by his experiences serving as in-house environmental counsel at a Fortune 100 diversified, multi-national conglomerate, practicing at Am Law 100 law firms, in solo practice and in environmental consulting. We provide strong client advocacy, coupled with collaborative problem solving and practical solutions.
We work with businesses big and small, from startups to Fortune 100 companies. Clients have included manufacturers, technology companies, municipalities, resort hotels, commercial businesses, investors, financial institutions and property developers. In each situation we work to address each client’s specific environmental law needs.
We also team with law firms that require environmental law expertise in mergers and acquisitions, property transactions and clients facing environmental enforcement actions. The firm also provides environmental law expertise to general counsels at companies lacking dedicated in-house environmental attorneys.
Over the years, we have addressed environmental law challenges from the courtroom to the board room, whether on factory floor or at hazardous waste sites. Whether in the conference room, on a Zoom call, before a judge or at a regulatory agency, we provide sophisticated, timely, practical and cost-effective environmental legal and regulatory representation and advice.
At its core, the practice of environmental law solves intertwining legal and scientific considerations. Effective representation requires not only understanding the environmental laws and regulations, but also their technical underpinnings. We provide this understanding. As a result, we effectively work and communicate with clients and their EHS staff, agency lawyers and technical staff, environmental consultants and experts.
Environmental Law and Science, PLLC has experience with a wide range of environmental law matters and challenges at the federal level and in many states. Our practice focuses on four primary areas:
- Environmental Compliance and Advocacy – advising and supporting clients in complying with the vast network of laws addressing air, water and waste, including permitting and auditing, as well the defense of agency enforcement actions
- Contaminated Sites and Brownfields – providing legal support to clients regarding potential liability from third party and legacy waste sites, as well as the cleanup and redevelop of contaminated property
- Transactional Advice – assisting clients with the environmental aspects of corporate, real estate and other business transactions
- PFAS and Chemical Regulation – providing strategic and compliance advice to clients on chemical product regulation, including PFAS and other emerging chemicals
Beyond these core areas, we have experience in a broad array of environmental, health and safety law issues, at the federal level and across the states, from Minnesota to the US Virgin Islands.
About Jeffery A. Sepesi
Environmental attorney with 30 years practice experience: practiced environmental law at McDermott Will and Emery, Katten Muchin & Zavis and Briggs and Morgan (now Taft); served as in-house EHS counsel at 3M; founded Environmental Law and Science, PLLC; and worked as an environmental scientist at CH2M Hill and Barr Engineering.
Legal experience encompasses a broad array of environmental law issues, including PFAS and emerging contaminants, facility EHS, regulatory compliance counseling, enforcement response, environmental litigation, environmental aspects of business transactions and brownfield and property redevelopment. Provided advice and counsel regarding most major federal environmental, health and safety laws including CERCLA, RCRA, EPCRA, CWA, CAA, TSCA, FIFRA and OSHA (state equivalents).
In-house experience provides insights into general counsel office priorities, complex international business organizations and supply chains, value of timely and practical advice and the importance of collaboration, transparency and ethical behavior within organizations.
Science based background and tenure as environmental scientist informs legal practice and facilitates interactions with engineers, client technical subject matter experts, business managers, consultants and regulators. Environmental consulting experience includes human health and environmental risk assessment, Superfund and waste site investigation and evaluation, policy analysis, regulatory compliance and multi-media environmental sampling and analysis.
Past chair of Minnesota State Bar Association’s Environmental, Natural Resources and Energy Law section.
Core Knowledge Areas
- Facility environmental, health and safety operation, management and regulatory compliance.
- PFAS and other emerging contaminants.
- RCRA and waste management issues including compliance counseling, strategic planning, advocacy and responding to enforcement actions.
- Chemical regulation including requirements of TSCA, EPCRA and other laws.
- Superfund, third party and legacy site remediation, liabilities, defenses, and management.
- Environmental auditing, compliance programs, internal investigations, reporting and voluntary self-disclosure.
- Enforcement response, including agency inspections, information requests, regulatory compliance and enforcement actions.
- Transactions and environmental due diligence, including M&A, lending and real estate.
- Brownfield redevelopment and voluntary cleanups.
- Environmental litigation.
- OSHA safety and health compliance.
- Clean Water Act regulatory counseling, permitting, compliance and enforcement response.
- Institutional Review Board and related requirements for human subject research
- Other areas of specialized knowledge include PCBs, manufactured gas plants, chromium plating, alumina processing and US Virgin Islands environmental law.
Education
- University of Minnesota Law School, JD cum laude, Dean’s List
- University of Michigan School of Public Health, MPH
- Washington University in St. Louis, BA Biology
Bar Admissions
- Licensed in Minnesota and Illinois.
Point of Contact
