Beveridge & Diamond, P.C.

Beveridge & Diamond has developed in parallel with the evolution of environmental and natural resource laws and regulations, creating a firm highly skilled in navigating the complexities of environmental law, natural resource law, and land use disputes. Both government and corporate clients reap the benefits of Beveridge & Diamond lawyers’ expertise in alternative dispute resolution, white collar defense, and toxic torts, as well as high-stakes national and international environmental and commercial matters.

EPA Roots

In 1974, a group of lawyers—namely, Bill Ruckelshaus, the first Administrator of the EPA; Henry Diamond, the first Commissioner of NYS Department of Environmental Conservation; and name partner Albert J. Beveridge III—formed a firm to address the needs of companies and municipalities regarding new environmental laws. From these not-so-humble beginnings, the firm has continued to rise and is now one of the most sought-after midsize firms. 

From Wetlands to Waste

Complex environmental litigation, regulatory, and transactional matters on a national and international level are daily fare for Beveridge & Diamond attorneys. As the No. 1 firm in Vault’s Environmental Law practice area rankings, Beveridge Diamond is its lawyers in-depth experience. The firm has also been recognized by Chambers (both nationally and regionally), Best Lawyers, and Super Lawyers. 

The firm offers expertise in the intricacies of environmental law, handling diverse matters related to biotechnology, wetlands, products regulation, environmental auditing, endangered species, toxic chemicals, Superfund, pesticide regulation, food safety, hazardous and solid waste, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and risk assessment. Neither state nor national boundaries stop Beveridge & Diamond from helping those needing their services. It has an international environmental practice spanning Asia, Europe, South America, and other locations. Moreover, the firm offers expansive assistance to clients, helping with settlements, dispositions, trials, and appeals.

That’s Sustainable

Beveridge & Diamond’s focus on the environment extends beyond legal matters. The firm has made sustainability a key corporate value, implementing a formal sustainability policy and engaging in various initiatives. The firm is part of Lawyers for a Sustainable Economy, dedicating pro bono services toward increasing environmental sustainability. For example, it is also a founding member of the Law Firm Sustainability Network, which promulgates the American Legal Industry Sustainability Standard to guide law firm sustainability programs. Moreover, the firm uses paper made of recycled postconsumer content and Energy Star-compliant computers.

• B&D served as Deputy Monitor, Emissions & Environmental, in the implementation of the criminal plea agreement arising from the Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal.

• B&D successfully represented the City of Newark, NJ in defense of a federal citizen suit under the SDWA (and the associated Lead and Copper Rule) brought by NRDC after Newark allegedly exceeded the federal lead action limit on lead in drinking water in 2017. This precedent-setting settlement will shape future interpretation of the federal Lead and Copper Rule and likely ends environmental group efforts to duplicate throughout the country the legal claims brought to bear in Flint, MI.

• B&D counsels and trains national utilities and municipalities on incorporating environmental justice principles into project development, including development of company-wide environmental justice policies and initiatives, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act investigations counseling, reputational risk mitigation, and best practices for external community engagement.

• B&D provides ongoing strategic counseling to a global Fortune 50 technology company recognized as an industry leader on sustainability. Our support covers corporate sustainability goal-setting, annual reporting on progress toward goals including through the company’s sustainability report, developing internal processes and structures to support a consistent approach to data collection and external communications, as well as legal reviews of sustainability ratings and rankings submissions and corporate filings.

   

• Tier 1, Environmental Regulatory, 2023 – The Legal 500
• Band 1, Environment, 2024 – Chambers USA
• Environmental Law Firm of the Year, 2024 – Best Lawyers
• Mansfield Rule 6.0 Certified, 2023—Diversity Lab
• George B. Vashon Innovator Award, 2022, 2023 – Minority Corporate Counsel Association