The following is an excerpt from Practice Perspectives: Vault's Guide to Legal Practice Areas.
Amber Ahmed brings a decade of state service to her legal practice, with extensive litigation experience from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and the Attorney General’s Environmental Protection Division. Since joining Beveridge & Diamond, Amber has worked on biosolids, land application, and water quality issues, and she represents critical infrastructure clients, including landfills, wastewater systems, and companies in the petrochemical, energy, and agricultural sectors. She guides clients through complex regulatory and legal landscapes at every level: federal, state, administrative, and appellate.
A litigator’s litigator, Amber leads trial court and appellate defense of products liability and nuisance litigation. Drawing on her background in Texas state government, she represents clients in contested case hearings and enforcement matters before the TCEQ and the Texas Railroad Commission. Amber attended the University of Texas at Austin School of Law and serves as Vice Chair of the State Bar of the Texas Environmental & Natural Resources Law Section.
Jack Zietman represents clients in complex internal investigations and related criminal, civil, and administrative enforcement actions. He has extensive experience navigating high-stakes matters involving whistleblower complaints and alleged regulatory violations, fraud, and business misconduct. His practice involves close collaboration with clients to develop robust legal and technical strategies tailored to their unique needs. Jack also counsels clients on regulatory matters under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act; the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, particularly regarding antimicrobial products; and the Toxic Substances Control Act. He maintains an active appellate litigation practice. Jack attended Harvard Law School.
Describe your practice area and what it entails.
Amber: I practice environmental and natural resources law, with a focus on litigation and regulatory compliance. I defend clients in trial and appellate courts, advise on permitting and rulemaking, and guide companies through enforcement actions and contested case hearings before agencies, such as the TCEQ and the Texas Railroad Commission. My work also includes defending permits and counseling clients on biosolids, land application, and water quality issues. I help clients navigate complex regulatory frameworks at the federal, state, administrative, and appellate levels.
Jack: I split my time between environmental white collar defense and regulatory compliance. On the enforcement side, I conduct internal investigations and defend companies and individuals in criminal and administrative matters, which requires learning their business in detail so we can present the facts accurately and persuasively when something has gone wrong. On the regulatory side, I counsel clients in the food, chemical, and antimicrobial industries on EPA and FDA requirements, helping them both to design product labeling and marketing strategies that comply with complex regulations and to resolve compliance issues efficiently. Beveridge & Diamond encouraged me to build a multifaceted practice, and this support has allowed me to work seamlessly across investigative, regulatory, and appellate matters.
What types of clients do you represent?
Amber: I represent critical infrastructure companies such as landfills and wastewater systems, as well as industrial clients in the petrochemical, energy, and agricultural sectors. My clients, who operate in highly regulated environments, rely on me to protect their operations and ensure compliance in highly regulated environments.
Jack: I represent critical infrastructure companies such as landfills and wastewater systems, as well as industrial clients in the chemical and agricultural sectors, and food and anti-microbial product manufacturers.
What types of cases/deals do you work on?
Amber: I handle product liability and nuisance litigation, enforcement matters, and permit defense. My experience includes defending permitting decisions, litigating water rights disputes, and representing clients in high-stakes enforcement actions. I also advise on regulatory strategy and compliance to help clients proactively manage risk and avoid costly disputes.
Jack: I handle internal investigations, criminal defense, and administrative enforcement matters, often working on several of these in parallel to ensure a client’s narrative and strategy remain aligned. I collaborate closely with colleagues across practices—strengthening the overall defense and broadening my own skill set.
How did you choose this practice area?
Amber: Early in law school, I knew I wanted to pursue work with tangible, real-world impact rather than focus solely on financial disputes. I was drawn to policy issues and the energy industry, which led me to study energy law. From there, I developed a strong interest in water law and discovered how engaging the intersection of policy and natural resource issues could be. This combination of practical impact and complex regulatory challenges ultimately guided me toward environmental and natural resources law.
Jack: Environmental law sits at the intersection of some of the most consequential legal, scientific, and policy questions of this century, and I started law school knowing I wanted to work in that space. The pandemic gave me an early opportunity to dig into antimicrobial product regulation, as companies rushed new products to market without appreciating the complexity of EPA and FDA regimes. My white collar practice grew more unexpectedly. A principal needed help on a criminal case. I said “yes” and quickly realized how much I enjoyed investigative and advocacy work, and one of these matters quickly became a core part of my practice.
What is a “typical” day like and/or what are some common tasks you perform?
Amber: Writing is the foundation of any complex litigator’s work, and I spend a significant part of my day drafting and revising briefs, arguments, and correspondence. Because this is an expert-driven field, I frequently collaborate with technical experts to understand the science and translate complex concepts into clear, persuasive arguments for courts. Given the complexity of my docket, most matters are handled by sophisticated teams, and I often manage the day-to-day workflow to keep multiple work streams on track.
Jack: In an investigation, my work focuses on mastering the law and the facts and coordinating the team to advocate effectively with prosecutors or regulators. I review large volumes of documents and data, conduct employee interviews, and work closely with experts to understand a client’s technical operations. In parallel, I dig into relevant statutes, regulations, and guidance to map out the elements, defenses, and exceptions associated with any potential charges. From there, I distill what we have learned into clear reports, chronologies, and advocacy pieces, often culminating in a presentation aimed at persuading the government not to bring charges. These matters are intensely collaborative, so I also spend significant time managing work streams to align our factual, legal, and strategic efforts and keep the investigation moving forward.
What training, classes, experience, or skills development would you recommend to someone who wishes to enter your practice area?
Amber: While courses in environmental law, water law, and energy law are obvious starting points, I believe students should also focus on mastering civil and administrative procedure. Whether you plan to be a litigator or a regulatory specialist, a strong grasp of procedural rules—and the ability to connect the dots across complex systems—is essential. This foundation not only sharpens legal analysis but also equips you to navigate the regulatory and judicial processes that define environmental and natural resources practice.
Jack: Substantive coursework in environmental and criminal law is helpful, but the true differentiators are technical fluency and people skills. The matters are fact- and data-heavy, so learn to read lab reports and budgets, analyze data in Excel, and build detailed chronologies; facility with generative AI tools to organize and test hypotheses is increasingly essential. Just as important, white collar defense is personal work: You will ask clients and employees hard questions about sensitive topics and then translate their experiences to skeptical prosecutors. Empathy, active listening, and the ability to tell a fair, human story is critical.
What is the most challenging aspect of practicing in this area?
Amber: The most challenging aspect of this practice is the constantly evolving scientific, legal, and regulatory land-scape. Staying ahead of new developments requires not only technical expertise but also the ability to adapt quickly and think strategically. Successfully navigating this uncertainty—whether it’s shifting regulatory frameworks, emerging scientific data, or novel legal arguments—is what distinguishes strong practitioners from truly exceptional ones.
What do you like best about your practice area?
Amber: What I enjoy most about this practice area is the same thing that makes it challenging: The practice is constantly evolving. The field is populated by passionate and dedicated scientists, regulators, and practitioners who work together to address complex environmental and resource issues. In litigation, both plaintiffs and defendants often advance policy and business propositions aimed at serving the common good. I find it rewarding to be at the fulcrum of these competing policy interests helping shape arguments, clarify science, and navigate the intersection of law, regulation, and public policy.
What misconceptions exist about your practice area?
Amber: This practice area is constantly evolving. What people may not know is that everyone in this field is passionate and dedicated, and we are all working to advance policy and business propositions that are for the common good.
What kinds of experience can summer associates gain at this practice area at your firm?
Jack: On the white collar defense side, summer associates gain meaningful experience by helping teams prepare for and sit in on client interviews. Interviews are at the heart of most investigations and are where we come to understand clients on a personal level—their choices, actions, and perspectives on what happened. Preparing for and observing these conversations is excellent training in active listening, issue-spotting, and narrative development. It is also very different from a deposition or other formal proceeding and a great way to see how our team builds trust with clients and translates what we learn into an effective investigative and defense strategy.