The following is an excerpt from Practice Perspectives: Vault's Guide to Legal Practice Areas.
As a former senior attorney at the EPA, Greg Wall uses his deep agency, regulatory, and enforcement knowledge to help clients solve their most complex environmental matters. His understanding of the intricate workings of the EPA gives him valuable insight into how to best navigate regulatory and enforcement issues, which his clients greatly value.
As co-leader of Hunton Andrews Kurth’s chemicals practice, Mr. Wall provides strategic counsel on chemicals and pesticides regulation, Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) cost recovery and contribution actions, structuring compliance audits to help clients obtain penalty mitigation under voluntary disclosure programs, and defending clients in government enforcement actions, particularly under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Greg is also deeply involved in the everchanging per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) regulatory landscape and develops tailored solutions for clients to protect against PFAS liability. Additionally, Greg advises clients on environmental aspects of business transactions, conducting due diligence, negotiating liability allocations, and efficiently resolving post-closing environmental issues.
Describe your practice area and what it entails.
As a former senior attorney for the EPA, I counsel clients across the spectrum of environmental law, including regulatory compliance, enforcement defense, and transactional matters. I have particular experience with the CERCLA/ Superfund, TSCA, FIFRA, and RCRA, which I use to manage complex compliance issues, advance clients’ business goals through regulatory advocacy, and provide creative solutions to regulatory challenges. I also represent clients in enforcement defense and litigation as needed.
What types of clients do you represent?
I represent clients across a diverse industry base, including chemical and pesticide manufacturing, food and agriculture, oil and gas, electric utility, rail transportation, semiconductor and electronics, real estate investment, financial services, private equity, and retail. My clients range from Fortune 500 corporations to midmarket companies looking to develop and refine sustainable business practices and products.
What types of cases/deals do you work on?
With over 20 years of experience exclusively in environmental law, I have led clients through high-stakes regulatory and enforcement matters, including TSCA and FIFRA enforcement matters brought by the EPA alleging violations with multimillion dollar penalties and major operational implications at stake. In other cases, I have worked with clients to successfully navigate the EPA’s Audit Policy to obtain complete penalty relief for voluntary self-disclosures of TSCA, FIFRA, and RCRA noncompliance.
My extensive practice of CERCLA at the highest levels in the federal government allows me to advise clients, particularly in filing and defending cost recovery and contribution actions. While at the EPA, I served as the lead EPA headquarters attorney on cleanup enforcement cases at Superfund sites with remedies exceeding $1 billion and regularly worked on national matters involving CERCLA. In private practice, I have represented multiple clients at high-profile Superfund and state cleanup sites with remedies estimated to cost over $200 million.
In my environmental transactional practice, I focus on the acquisition and sale of heavily regulated companies and environmentally impaired properties. I work with clients to develop and implement environmental risk mitigation strategies, including contractual allocations and indemnities and environmental insurance and obtaining landowner liability protections under state and federal law. I also advise companies on conducting voluntary cleanups and the redevelopment of brownfield sites, including those for renewable energy projects.
How did you choose this practice area?
My interest in environmental issues began in high school, when I spent summers working with the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection studying shoreline erosion and coastal ecosystems. At Tufts University, I double majored in environmental studies and English, and I worked at a Sydney-based environmental consulting firm while studying abroad. The firm was founded by the former President of Greenpeace International, who transitioned away from environmental activism to advise Fortune 500 companies on aligning business and environmental goals, driving greater impact by helping corporations integrate sustainability into their core strategies. After graduating from Tufts, I worked at ICF International as a contractor for the EPA, assisting with the development of the ENERGY STAR program, compiling the U.S. Greenhouse Gas Inventory, and writing about climate change. After law school, it was never a question of if—only where—I would practice environmental law.
What is a “typical” day like and/or what are some common tasks you perform?
Every day brings something new, and that is what makes this work so engaging. One morning, I might advise a client on PFAS compliance strategies in the context of evolving regulations. By the afternoon, I am negotiating environmental indemnities in a corporate transaction, revising a brief in a CERCLA cost recovery case, or sitting down with the EPA to negotiate a settlement in an administrative enforcement action. On some nights, I am teaching environmental courses as an adjunct law professor at William and Mary Law School, which allows me a chance to share my experience with students and future lawyers. I also spend a considerable amount of time mentoring associates, whether by reviewing assignments, refining work product, or helping them develop business development strategies. And when I am not working on billable matters, I am focused on developing new client relationships through meetings, writing, and speaking engagements.
What training, classes, experience, or skills development would you recommend to someone who wishes to enter your practice area?
Environmental law sits at the intersection of law and science, so developing a strong technical understanding is key. While a formal science background is not required, being comfortable with scientific and engineering concepts provides a significant advantage. Environmental lawyers often collaborate with in-house counsel, but just as frequently, we work with technical teams and business leaders. Having a firm grasp of both the law and the science allows you to identify the most critical issues, craft practical solutions, and communicate clearly with diverse client audiences. Strong writing, public speaking, and the ability to stay on top of emerging regulations and trends in the case law are also essential.
What do you like best about your practice area?
I enjoy the problem-solving and multidimensional aspects of environmental law. It is a practice area full of moving parts— regulatory compliance, liability management, stakeholder dynamics, reputational considerations, and business strategy—and finding ways to align those pieces is very rewarding. One of the most satisfying parts of the work is helping clients turn risks into opportunities. For example, I have worked on projects where contaminated “mothballed” sites were transformed into valuable new assets, from new high-tech manufacturing facilities to state-of-the-art data centers. I also enjoy working with clients to bring cutting-edge technologies and greener products to market, turning environmental challenges into business opportunities that drive profit and progress.
What misconceptions exist about your practice area?
People sometimes think that environmental lawyers in private practice are only reactive, responding to violations or litigating against government agencies and environmental groups. In reality, much of what we do is proactive. We help clients implement voluntary compliance programs that often go beyond regulatory requirements, build sustainable business models, and bring greener products to market. We also engage with regulators to shape more-informed policies. Modern environmental law is not just about managing yesterday’s problems and today’s risks; it is also about anticipating tomorrow’s trends and helping clients stay ahead of them.
What is unique about your practice area at your firm?
Our environmental practice stands out for its size, depth, experience, and collaborative culture. Unlike smaller environmental practices that primarily support other firm practice groups, we have over 50 environmental lawyers who practice within all aspects of environmental law. We are also often the lawyers managing direct client relationships, which opens doors for other practice groups within the firm to collaborate and grow with our clients. Many of our lawyers helped shape major environmental laws from the ground up—drafting regulations and shaping policy during government service—and litigating the seminal cases that shaped the field in private practice. These cases are now the ones that appear in modern environmental law textbooks, serving as the foundation for how courts interpret issues we still face today. Our environmental group is also consistently recognized for its excellence, with accolades from Chambers USA and other leading publications for our strength in the field. These recognitions reflect not just the depth of our practice but also our ability to deliver innovative solutions for the most complex environmental challenges.
How do you balance the different hats (from litigation to transactional work to regulatory matters) that an environmental lawyer must wear?
The variety makes every day different, presenting not just challenges but opportunities. In addition to advising our own clients, we often collaborate with teams across the firm, including the corporate, real estate, capital markets, litigation, tax, and other teams. This allows us to bring specialized value to complex matters. Balancing these roles requires staying current with regulatory developments, viewing legal issues from multiple perspectives, communicating effectively with diverse audiences, and being responsive under pressure. Mastering these skills not only brings variety to the work but also offers opportunities to collaborate and learn from a broad network of highly talented lawyers across the firm.