Laurence Kirsch, a partner in the firm’s Environmental Practice, brings his combined background in science and the law to his practice as an environmental litigator, counselor and transactional attorney. His matters have involved air, surface water, groundwater, hazardous waste, sediments, toxic substances regulation and indoor air quality, among other issues.
MEDIA
Mr. Kirsch lectures widely at seminars and conferences on several environmental law subjects and taught a law school course on Law, Science and Technology. He has appeared as an expert in environmental law on CBS News, the MacNeil-Lehrer Report, and numerous radio shows, and has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, The Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, National Law Journal and The American Lawyer. He also was invited by the New York State Senate to testify on “toxic mold” litigation.
Most recently, Mr. Kirsch co-authored two chapters for Environmental Aspects of Real Estate and Commercial Transactions: From Brownfields to Green Buildings (Third Edition 2004) – a new ABA publication. The chapters were entitled “Federal Environmental Liability” and “Indoor Air Quality.”
His additional publications include “Superfund Practice Will Change and It’s a Good Thing,” Environmental Forum, March/April 2002; “Mold: An Evolving Issue in Design and Construction Defect Litigation,” The Construction Lawyer, Spring 2003, at 5; “Addressing the Crisis in Reclamation Bonding for Mining Companies” (co-author), 48 Rocky Mtn. Min. L. Inst. 17-1 (2002); “Defense Can Win Toxic Mold Lawsuits,” New York Law Journal, June 24, 2002; “Confidentiality of Environmental Audit Reports,” National Law Journal, March 11, 1996; “Federal Environmental Liability” and “Indoor Air Quality” in Environmental Aspects of Real Estate Transactions (3d ed. 2004); “Indoor Air Quality,” in Environmental Law Practice Guide (Matthew Bender, 1994); “Superfund Site Listings Can Be Challenged,” Envtl. Corp. Counsel Rep., June 1995; “Environmental Compliance Assessments: Why Do Them, How to Do Them and How Not to Do Them,” 26 Wake Forest L. Rev. 97 (1991); “A Whole New Ballgame: Judicial Review and Estimation of CERCLA Claims in Bankruptcy,” 22 Envtl. L. Rep. (Envt’l L. Inst.) 10,791 (1992); “Environmental Liability Pitfalls for Public Employee Retirement Systems,” 2 Fordham Envtl. L. Rep. 1 (1990); “How Lenders Become Environmental Targets” (Sept. 1989); “Federal Statutory Liability for the Cleanup of Hazardous Waste,” Hazardous Substances (Mar. 1986); “Bankruptcy and the Cleanup of Hazardous Waste,” 15 Envtl. L. Rep. 10,168 (1985); “Behind Closed Doors: Indoor Air Pollution and Government Policy,” 6 Harv. Envtl. L. Rev. 339 (1982); and “Legal Developments on Indoor Air Pollution,” in Indoor Air Pollution: The Complete Resource Guide (1988). Mr. Kirsch also served as Editor-in-Chief of the Indoor Pollution Law Report.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Mr. Kirsch was a partner at Shea & Gardner prior to its combination with Goodwin Procter in 2004. Prior to joining Shea & Gardner in 2002, he was a partner at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, which he joined in 1984. After graduating from law school, Mr. Kirsch served as law clerk to the Honorable John P. Fullam of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
BAR AND COURT ADMISSIONS
Mr. Kirsch is a member of the District of Columbia Bar and is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the District of Columbia, Third, Fifth, and Ninth Circuits, and the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
RECOGNITION
Mr. Kirsch has been selected for inclusion in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business and The Best Lawyers in America. While attending law school, he served as Managing Editor of the Harvard Environmental Law Review.