Department profile
Baker Botts L.L.P.

Environment

USA Guide 2026 : Texas


Baker Botts L.L.P.

Rankings

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 - Texas

Band 1

Band 1


What the Team is Known For
Baker Botts L.L.P. has an outstanding team that is widely celebrated for its strong practice on both the contentious and noncontentious sides. The firm advises on matters across the full range of environmental law, including air and water compliance and enforcement issues. The team is also experienced with waste and contaminated site concerns. Baker Botts stands out for its emergency response counsel and handling of damages lawsuits. The firm is experienced when it comes to engaging with state legislative and regulatory matters, including revisions to clean air regimes. Baker Botts has a strong track record acting for the state's largest industry groups in environmental agency proceedings.

Work Highlights

Provided by Chambers

  • Baker Botts L.L.P. represented Halliburton Energy Services in mass tort litigation involving groundwater and soil contamination claims relating to a valve manufacturing facility.

Strengths

Provided by Chambers

  • They are absolutely fantastic.

    Environment respondentUSA
  • Baker Botts has a significant breadth of environmental expertise in the oil and gas, chemical and energy sectors.

    Environment respondentUSA
  • Overall the Baker Botts team are very knowledgeable, they have a high level of expertise and having done it all before, nothing is really new to them.

    Environment respondentUSA
  • Baker Botts' lawyers have a great reputation among regulators.

    Environment respondentUSA

Notable Practitioners

Provided by Chambers

  • Senior StatespeopleAileen Hooks
    Senior StatespeopleAileen Hooks

    Aileen Hooks

    Aileen Hooks is frequently called upon to handle environmental law aspects of projects and corporate transactions. She has particular expertise in marine-related work and also handles waste materials, site contamination and carbon capture matters.
  • Senior StatespeopleDanny Worrell
    Senior StatespeopleDanny Worrell

    Danny Worrell

    Danny Worrell is commended for his long experience handling environment matters for clients in the manufacturing sector. He is particularly noted for his permitting and compliance counseling.
  • Senior StatespeopleMolly Cagle
    Senior StatespeopleMolly Cagle

    Molly Cagle

    Molly Cagle is a veteran environmental lawyer highly regarded for her expertise in water law. She handles matters arising before various agencies, legislatures and state and federal courts. She covers enforcement defense, litigation and crisis response.
  • Band 1Derek McDonald
    Band 1Derek McDonald

    Derek McDonald

    Derek McDonald is an air quality expert noted for his agency-facing practice. He regularly works with clients engaged in significant infrastructure development projects.
    • He provides great perspective on very technical issues.

      Environment respondentUSA
    • Derek McDonald has both depth and breadth of working knowledge and technical expertise.

      Environment respondentUSA
  • Band 1Matthew Kuryla
    Band 1Matthew Kuryla

    Matthew Kuryla

    Matthew Kuryla is well known for his work counseling industry coalitions. He acts extensively in environmental crisis response, litigation and rule-making proceedings.
    • I like working with him, he is very knowledgeable and he has decades of experience.

      Environment respondentUSA
    • Matthew Kuryla is a great lawyer.

      Environment respondentUSA
    • Matthew Kuryla does a fantastic job and has really great connections at the state and federal level.

      Environment respondentUSA
  • Band 1Scott Janoe
    Band 1Scott Janoe

    Scott Janoe

    Scott Janoe is highly regarded in the field for his representation of energy, mining and manufacturing clients on a range of environmental issues including permitting, enforcement defense and litigation. He has additional expertise in crisis management and related areas of health and safety law.
    • Scott Janoe is great.

      Environment respondentUSA
    • Scott Janoe is very impressive.

      Environment respondentUSA
  • Band 2Paulina Williams
    Band 2Paulina Williams

    Paulina Williams

    Paulina Williams is recognized for her handling of water, waste and natural resources matters for clients from the industrial and commercial sectors. She has experience in federal and state actions on behalf of clients.
    • She is brilliant and incredibly pleasant.

      Environment respondentUSA
    • Paulina's experience and knowledge with respect to waste issues in Texas is hard to beat.

      Environment respondentUSA
    • Paulina Williams is a great lawyer.

      Environment respondentUSA
  • Band 5Stephanie Bergeron Perdue
    Band 5Stephanie Bergeron Perdue

    Stephanie Bergeron Perdue

    Stephanie Bergeron Perdue focuses on Environmental Quality issues in Texas. Her work includes advising on environmental quality matters, the Texan Pollutant Discharge Elimination system and water rights.

    • Stephanie Bergeron Perdue is excellent and well respected.

      Environment respondentUSA
  • Up and ComingSamia Broadaway
    Up and ComingSamia Broadaway

    Samia Broadaway

    Samia Broadaway is an up-and-coming attorney with notable expertise in strategic regulatory counseling in the environment space. She is highlighted for her experience advising on Class VI underground injection well permit applications.

Ranked Individuals at Baker Botts L.L.P. (9)

Texas

Members

Provided by Baker Botts L.L.P.

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