Nijman Franzetti LLP

Number of partners: 5
Number of lawyers: 9
Languages: English

Firm Overview:
In a boutique, women-owned firm setting, Nijman Franzetti, LLP offers clients business savvy, cost effective representation with hands on, personal attention from experienced environmental lawyers. Jennifer T. Nijman, Susan M. Franzetti, E. Lynn Grayson and Susan E. Brice of Nijman Franzetti LLP each have more than 30 years of experience in all aspects of environmental law. After leaving two of Chicago’s largest firms, Ms. Nijman and Ms. Franzetti formed Nijman Franzetti LLP in early 2008 in order to better serve their clients. Ms. Grayson joined in 2018 and Ms. Brice in 2020 after leading the environmental practice groups of two other large Chicago law firms. Kristen Gale, a partner with Nijman Franzetti LLP, formerly served as Assistant Attorney General in the Environmental Bureau of the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, where she represented the State of Illinois in environmental enforcement matters. Genevieve Essig serves as of counsel to the firm and was previously a member of the environmental practice group at a large Chicago-based firm. Vincent Angermeier, also of counsel, joined the firm in 2014 after working in the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals and as a summer clerk at the Department of Justice’s Environmental Division. Molly Snittjer joined as an associate in 2019 from the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, Environmental Bureau, and Drew Nishioka joined in 2022 as a new associate with an extensive background in technology training and curriculum design with a focus on the efficiency of the work process of lawyers and legal staff at global law firms.

Nijman Franzetti is a full-service environmental law firm providing legal representation in the areas of environmental litigation, defense and enforcement, regulatory counseling, due diligence and management of day-to-day environmental concerns. Thw firm's attorneys handle administrative and civil agency enforcement matters, private party actions for property contamination, and toxic tort cases. Nijman Franzetti have broad experience before the Illinois Pollution Control Board, participating in rule making proceedings, pursuing NPDES permit appeals (or defending against third-party permit appeals), seeking variances and adjusted standards, and representing clients at contested hearings. The firm has represented companies in more than 100 Superfund matters across the nation. Their Superfund work includes representing groups of potentially responsible parties and individual clients. They also have extensive experience in property cleanup projects pursued under federal and state cleanup programs. They serve as national environmental counsel working with their clients’ in-house attorneys and environmental professionals on day-to-day environmental issues and management of material environmental liabilities. Nijman Franzetti assist clients with permitting issues, questions concerning the applicability of federal or state environmental regulations and responding to regulatory inquiries. The firm regularly advise on environmental issues that may arise during any corporate transaction, including environmental disclosures, reserves, and financial assurance. They know how to communicate with specialized personnel at both client and regulatory offices. Nijman Franzetti understand the technical concepts and ask the right questions. The firm's experience allows them to work with environmental experts and consultants to develop legal positions on complex matters that are then conveyed in persuasive and cogent oral and written submissions to regulators. The attorneys of Nijman Franzetti LLP offer unmatched experience, talent, and personal service to solve the environmental legal challenges facing today’s businesses.

Main Areas of Practice: 

Environmental Law  

Environmental Litigation
Nijman Franzetti LLP handles environmental legal projects in the areas of water, land and air. The firm handles all aspects of environmental defense and enforcement, including administrative and civil agency enforcement matters, private party actions for property contamination, and toxic tort cases. Nijman Franzetti LLP has specific experience in Clean Water Act matters, representing both industrial and municipal dischargers in the negotiation and appeal of NPDES permits, including mixing zones, whole effluent toxicity, use attainability analyses, 303(d) listing issues and other water quality and wastewater issues.

Nijman Franzetti LLP’s recent work includes: 

■ Represents an energy company in private party litigation alleging ground water contamination from historic and current operations

■ Represents a waste company in a contribution action in federal court

■ Represents a company to resolve a Notice of Violation and defend citizen suit litigation concerning alleged historic contamination

■ Serves as national environmental counsel to Fortune 100 companies including compliance counseling related to emerging environmental concerns related to FIFRA, TSCA, Prop 65 and ESG matters

■ Successfully resolved numerous Illinois EPA Violation Notices regarding air permits and surface impoundments through Compliance Commitment Agreements and resolved a US EPA administrative complaint alleging EPCRA violations

■ Closed numerous transactions with environmental implications

■ Completed site remediation projects under state voluntary programs

■ Led environmental due diligence efforts for several US and international deals

Key Clients: Abbott Laboratories, AbbVie, Inc., Dover Corporation, Exelon Corporation, The Kraft Heinz Company, Marmon Group, Midwest Generation, LLC, Waste Management
Contact: Jennifer Nijman
Tel: 312 251 5255
Email: [email protected]