David A. Giannotti

Mr. Giannotti has more than 30 years of extensive environmental law experience, covering air, water, toxic substances, Superfund, and hazardous waste issues ranging from compliance counseling to litigation. Mr. Giannotti also has extensive experience in due diligence investigations as well as developing and implementing environmental auditing programs for clients.

Mr. Giannotti’s experience was gained during a career that began in private practice and included almost ten years as an environmental attorney with Occidental Petroleum Corporation. During his last three and half years at Occidental, he was Counsel – Environmental, Health & Safety, with responsibility for the company’s worldwide operations. He also served as counsel to Occidental’s Board of Directors’ Environmental Committee. Before joining Occidental’s headquarters staff, he spent six years in its chemical division as its environmental attorney. He returned to private practice in 1984.

Mr. Giannotti has extensive experience dealing with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and numerous state environmental agencies, and has been involved with environmental matters across the country. California agency experience includes California EPA, California Department of Toxic Substances Control, South Coast Air Quality Management District and various California Regional Water Boards. His practice has included the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and enforcement and litigation actions, dealing with complex technical matters, damages issues, retaining and managing environmental and technical consultants and experts and acting as lead attorney in multi-party administrative and litigation proceedings. He also has experience in the defense of Proposition 65 claims and toxic tort litigation.

In the Superfund area, Mr. Giannotti has represented clients at sites in California, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Texas, Utah, Michigan, Washington, Florida and Oklahoma. For example, he has served as Common Counsel to a group of more than 130 companies at a site in Los Angeles, California since 1986, providing diverse legal services, including lead attorney in negotiating the largest partial settlements to date in EPA’s Superfund program totaling over $650 million.

Mr. Giannotti has had broad experience conducting environmental due diligence reviews, including acting as lead environmental counsel and overall manager of such efforts in connection with multi-billion dollar business transactions. This experience has included post-closing activities to address environmental issues and to assure ongoing compliance.

Mr. Giannotti’s environmental practice has included representing clients in diverse businesses, including Ascent Media, Chevron Corporation, Platinum Equity Holdings, The Uniroyal Goodrich Tire Company/Michelin Tire Corporation, Louis Dreyfus Corporation, Parker-Hannifin Corporation, EnviroSource, Inc., Hugo Neu Corporation, and California Steel Industries.

Mr. Giannotti has been an active member of numerous industry and bar association committees and has written and lectured frequently on environmental issues. He was a contributing author to Law of Environmental Protection, published by the Environmental Law Institute, and A Practical Guide to Environmental Law, published by the American Law Institute/American Bar Association.