Environmental Senior Counsel

Larson Maddox; Phoenix (AZ); On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Larson Maddox represents a seasoned client seeking a Senior Environmental Counsel in Phoenix to lead environmental litigation, regulatory compliance, remediation, and enforcement matters.

The role requires translating complex regulatory requirements into practical business guidance for senior leadership, operations teams, and external stakeholders. Strong background in CERCLA, RCRA, and air/water acts is essential.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school.
• Active license to practice law and in good standing.
• 7+ years of relevant legal experience, with 8+ preferred.
• Substantial experience with environmental law, litigation, regulatory compliance, or enforcement matters.
• Strong knowledge of CERCLA/Superfund, RCRA, Clean Water Act, and Clean Air Act.
• Experience handling environmental remediation matters for industrial or commercial sites.
• Experience managing toxic torts, nuisance, trespass, negligence, and insurance disputes.
• In-house or large multi-state experience is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Manage environmental litigation, regulatory proceedings, toxic tort claims, and enforcement matters from investigation through resolution.
• Advise internal stakeholders on environmental laws, regulatory obligations, compliance requirements, and developments.
• Handle matters involving CERCLA/Superfund, RCRA, Clean Water Act, and Clean Air Act.
• Oversee disputes involving property damage, nuisance, trespass, negligence, and environmental liability.
• Collaborate with environmental, engineering, sustainability, compliance, risk management, and operations teams on remediation.
• Oversee regulatory investigations, agency inquiries, enforcement actions, and response strategies.
• Evaluate environmental risks and provide practical recommendations to leadership.
• Oversee outside counsel, expert witnesses, litigation budgets, and overall legal spend.
• Coordinate witness preparation, discovery, depositions, hearings, mediations, and trials.
• Work with risk management and insurance professionals on environmental claims and coverage disputes.
• Support environmental due diligence for transactions and strategic initiatives.
• Develop and update environmental policies, compliance materials, and training programs.
• Prepare risk assessments and updates for senior leadership.
• Travel periodically for legal proceedings, regulatory meetings, investigations, and business needs.

Skills

Environmental law

Litigation management

Regulatory compliance

Environmental remediation

Regulatory investigations

Policy & risk assessment

Stakeholder communication

Strategic advisory

Education

Juris Doctor

Job description

About the Company

Our client is an established organization with operations across multiple jurisdictions in the United States. The company operates in a highly regulated environment and is committed to environmental compliance, responsible business practices, and proactive risk management.

The legal team works closely with environmental, engineering, sustainability, risk management, compliance, and operations professionals to support business objectives and manage complex legal matters.

The Opportunity

Our client is seeking a Senior Environmental Counsel to serve as a key legal advisor on environmental litigation, regulatory compliance, remediation, and enforcement matters.

This senior-level position will manage complex environmental claims and disputes across multiple jurisdictions while providing practical guidance to business and operational leaders. The attorney will oversee matters involving federal and state environmental regulations, toxic tort claims, property damage, remediation projects, and regulatory investigations.

The ideal candidate will have a strong environmental law background, substantial litigation management experience, and the ability to translate complex regulatory requirements into practical business recommendations.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage environmental litigation, regulatory proceedings, toxic tort claims, and enforcement matters from initial investigation through resolution.
• Advise internal stakeholders on environmental laws, regulatory obligations, compliance requirements, and emerging legal developments.
• Handle matters involving CERCLA and Superfund liability, RCRA compliance, the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, environmental remediation, and landfill regulations.
• Oversee disputes involving property damage, nuisance, trespass, negligence, toxic exposure, and environmental liability.
• Partner with environmental, engineering, sustainability, compliance, risk management, and operations teams on remediation and compliance initiatives.
• Manage regulatory investigations, agency inquiries, enforcement actions, and related response strategies.
• Evaluate environmental risks and provide practical recommendations to business leaders and senior management.
• Oversee outside counsel, expert witnesses, litigation strategy, legal budgets, and overall legal spend.
• Coordinate witness preparation, expert engagement, discovery, depositions, hearings, mediations, and trials.
• Work with risk management and insurance professionals on environmental claims, coverage disputes, and potential liability exposure.
• Support environmental due diligence associated with transactions, operational initiatives, and strategic business projects.
• Develop and update environmental policies, compliance materials, legal processes, and training programs.
• Prepare legal reports, risk assessments, and updates for senior leadership and other stakeholders.
• Travel periodically for legal proceedings, regulatory meetings, investigations, and business needs.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school.
• Active license to practice law and in good standing.
• 7+ years of relevant legal experience, with 8 or more years preferred.
• Substantial experience with environmental law, litigation, regulatory compliance, or enforcement matters.
• Strong working knowledge of CERCLA and Superfund matters, RCRA, the Clean Water Act, and the Clean Air Act.
• Experience handling environmental remediation matters and regulations affecting industrial, commercial, or operational sites.
• Background managing toxic torts, nuisance, trespass, negligence, property damage, and insurance-related disputes.
• Experience responding to regulatory investigations, agency inquiries, and enforcement actions.
• Demonstrated ability to manage outside counsel, litigation budgets, expert witnesses, and complex legal strategy.
• Prior in-house experience or experience advising a large, multi-state organization is preferred.
• Ability to provide practical, business-oriented advice to technical professionals, operational teams, and senior leadership.
• Experience supporting a publicly traded organization or working within a unionized environment is a plus.