Department profile
Baker Botts L.L.P.

Environment

USA Guide 2026 : California


Baker Botts L.L.P.

About

Provided by Baker Botts L.L.P.

Baker Botts’ Environmental, Safety and Incident Response Team helps clients advance and protect their interests across the full lifecycle of environmental and safety matters—from permitting and regulatory advocacy to litigation, workplace safety, and crisis response. With more than 50 lawyers based in California, Washington, D.C., New York, and Texas, the team handles complex federal and state matters nationwide. The practice offers broad capabilities spanning incident and crisis response, regulatory compliance and permitting strategies, litigation, climate change and sustainability, safety, coalitions, and transactions. Drawing on deep experience across industries including infrastructure, manufacturing, oil and gas, power and renewables, and refining and petrochemical, the team is equipped to address a wide range of environmental and safety challenges.

To learn more about our practice, visit: https://www.bakerbotts.com/services/practice-areas/environmental-safety-and-incident-response

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

Environment - California

Band 5

Band 5


What the Team is Known For
Baker Botts is recognized for its strong California environmental practice based in San Francisco. The firm leverages its strong Texas roots to regularly advise clients from the energy sector in California on federal and state regulatory compliance, CERCLA claims and incident response. Attorneys from the firm are particularly skilled in handling air permitting matters and regulatory compliance with the Clean Air Act.
Notable practitioners

Julie Cress is a key contact.

Work Highlights

Provided by Chambers

  • Baker Botts represent five owners of the Colstrip power plant, located in eastern Montana, in a mass tort lawsuit brought by more than 100 individuals claiming property damage to their homes.

Strengths

Provided by Chambers

  • They handle very complex and sophisticated matters with positive results.

    Environment respondentUSA
  • Their ability to plain English a situation and provide practical legal advice is second to none.

    Environment respondentUSA

Members

Provided by Baker Botts L.L.P.

  • Julie Cress

  • Allison Watkins Mallick

    Head of Department

  • Matthew R. Baker

  • J. Scott Janoe

    Head of Department

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