Cynthia Teel

Practice Areas

Environmental Law

Class Action Defense

PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances)

ESG Guidance

General Business & Complex Commercial Litigation

Contaminants & Toxic Torts

Environmental Insurance Analysis & Recovery

Environmental Issues in Business Transactions

Career

When asked about her personal philosophy, Cynthia Teel said, “It is important to me to work creatively to find ways to say, ‘yes,’ and get our clients over the finish line efficiently.”

Cynthia Teel takes a comprehensive approach to addressing environmental issues in litigation, transactional, and regulatory matters for clients. She represents large multinational public and private companies as well as smaller regulated entities, including major solid and hazardous waste, agricultural, and other industrial businesses.

With a wealth of experience representing clients in environmental negotiations, enforcement actions, and in front of federal and state regulators, Cynthia has litigated environmental claims across administrative, state and federal courts. She regularly handles matters in the following areas:

Agricultural regulation

Brownfield redevelopment

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability (CERCLA) / Superfund sites

Environmental diligence, risk analyses, and mitigation

Hazardous substances

Landfills, solid waste, hazardous waste

Odor nuisance class actions

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and other emerging contaminants

Remediation of contaminated sites

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)

Technologically Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (TENORM)

Much of Cynthia’s practice deals with the assessment and remediation of contaminated sites nationwide, and creatively shepherding them through federal and state remediation programs. This includes determining and implementing creative and sophisticated legal and technical strategies, leading Potentially Responsible Party groups, negotiating and minimizing liability, and related litigation. She also works closely with clients’ legal, engineering and remediation teams to efficiently handle enforcement actions or compliance issues, while considering litigation strategies and remaining cognizant of each client’s risk profile before advising on transactions with potential environmental repercussions.

Cynthia also excels at analyzing real estate transactions and tax credit projects for environmental risks, providing strategic advice to understand and minimize liabilities. She provides clients with a regulatory focus addressing emerging or unique contaminants such as PFAS, 1,4 dioxane and technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive materials (TENORM).

Prior to law school, Cynthia conducted public affairs and media relations for the Los Angeles/Ventura Chapter of the Building Industry Association and provided public relations services to a variety of organizations including public companies, government entities and nonprofits.