Many Superfund practitioners have spent years litigating cases in which a private plaintiff seeks to establish that defendants are liable for costs of responding to a Superfund problem and that they ought to bear some specific equitable share of the total responsibility. Often, the plaintiff has brought the case even though the plaintiff has not paid a very significant portion of the total costs, has not committed to pay a significant portion of the costs, and has not been adjudicated responsible for anything. Why does that private plaintiff get to trigger allocation litigation?

Continue reading the full article, published by The Legal Intelligencer Feb. 9, 2024. Reprinted with permission.

Photo of David Mandelbaum David Mandelbaum

David G. Mandelbaum represents clients facing problems under the environmental laws and serves as Co-Chair of the firm’s Environmental Practice. He regularly represents clients in lawsuits and has also helped clients achieve satisfactory outcomes through regulatory negotiation or private transactions. David teaches Superfund…

David G. Mandelbaum represents clients facing problems under the environmental laws and serves as Co-Chair of the firm’s Environmental Practice. He regularly represents clients in lawsuits and has also helped clients achieve satisfactory outcomes through regulatory negotiation or private transactions. David teaches Superfund, and Oil and Gas Law in rotation at the Temple Law School. He teaches the Superfund course at Suffolk (Boston) Law School as well. David is a Fellow of the American College of Environmental Lawyers.

Concentrations

  • Air, water and waste regulation
  • Superfund and contamination
  • Climate change
  • Oil and gas development
  • Water rights