Diana A. Silva

Practice Areas

Data Centers

Energy

Litigation

Occupational Safety and Health Compliance

Site Development and Brownfields Redevelopment

Sustainability and ESG

Water

Career

Partner Diana Silva concentrates her practice in environmental litigation, including statutory contribution and cost recovery actions, toxic tort claims, contractual disputes, common law tort claims, administrative enforcement actions, and permit appeals. She also counsels clients on environmental regulatory compliance matters, and provides clients with guidance and assistance for land development-related permitting of residential, commercial, industrial, and large-scale infrastructure projects. Diana has helped clients obtain and comply with construction-related stormwater/erosion and sediment control permits, wetlands permits, endangered species, and dam safety/waterway encroachment permits.

Diana handles a wide-variety of legal matters for a diverse group of clients, from large Fortune 100 companies, local, regional and family-owned businesses, and public entities. She has worked on some of the most significant matters for the firm, including several litigation and regulatory compliance matters involving the permitting and construction of a multi-billion-dollar energy infrastructure project in Pennsylvania. She is actively involved with the Marcellus Shale Coalition and serves as the co-chair of the Environmental and Water Use workgroup for the MSC's Power Generation, AI and Data Center Committee.

Professional Memberships

Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law American Inn of Court, Treasurer

Philadelphia Bar Association

New Jersey State Bar Association

Montgomery Country Bar Association

The Society of Women Environmental Professionals of Greater Philadelphia

Philadelphia Association of Defense Counsel

Women's Energy Network

Publications

Pennsylvania Supreme Court Declares Stormwater Charges Are Taxes Not Fees

MGKF Special Alert - May 11, 2026

Paying for Rain: Are Stormwater Charges a Tax or Fee? PA Supreme Court to Decide in 2026

MGKF Special Alert - 2026 Pennsylvania Forecast - January 20, 2026

Marcellus Shale a New Potential Source of Domestically Produced Lithium

MGKF Special Alert - 2025 Federal Forecast - January 17, 2025

How The Shapiro Administration Will Respond to Changing Federal Priorities

MGKF Special Alert - 2025 Pennsylvania Forecast - January 17, 2025

Personal

Marcellus Shale Coalition Power Generation, AI and Data Center Committee

Co-Chair, Environmental and Water Use Workgroup, 2026

Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law

Adjunct Professor, Environmental Law and Toxic Torts

Teaching Fellow/Adjunct Professor, Writing Strategies for the Bar

St. Joseph’s University Law Alumni Chapter

Executive Committee, President (former Vice President and Secretary)

St. Joseph’s University National Alumni Board

St. Joseph’s University Real Estate and Construction Alumni Chapter

St. Joseph’s University Advisory Board of the College of Arts and Science

Education

Work Highlights

Representative examples of Diana's experience include the following:

representation of one of the largest international pipeline entities, including environmental compliance counseling, project management, and litigation defense in several forums;

defense of subsidiaries of Tenneco, Inc. as both trial and appellate counsel in action brought by group of parties remediating a contaminated site in New Jersey; plaintiffs asserted statutory claims under the New Jersey Spill Act and common law contract claims; achieved successful summary judgment dismissal of statutory New Jersey Spill Act claims; proceeded to bench trial on remaining contract claims, and received judgment of no cause of action and dismissal of all remaining claims; successful defense of appeal before the New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division, which affirmed trial court judgment (AGIP USA Inc. et al., v. The Pullman Company et al., Union County, Dkt. No. L-3530-10, Appellate Div. Dkt. No. A-0173-16T1, 2020 WL 1908509, at *1 (N.J. Super. Ct. App. Div. Apr. 20, 2020)).

defense and resolution of claims asserted under the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (“CERCLA”), the Clean Water Act, the New Jersey Spill Compensation and Control Act, the New Jersey Solid Waste Management Act, the New Jersey Environmental Rights Act, the Pennsylvania Clean Streams Law, and the Pennsylvania Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act;

defense of environmental class actions;

defense of toxic tort litigation for personal injury damages resulting from exposure to hazardous substances;

appealing governmental enforcement actions for alleged violations of environmental regulations and local municipal ordinances;

defense of citizen suits brought under the Clean Air Act;

assisting clients with analysis of OSHA regulatory requirements;

representing clients in contract disputes and other matters;

challenges to promulgation of EPA regulatory programs in the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit;

counseling clients regarding environmental permit obligations; and,

representation of a multiple clients to obtain grant funding through the Philadelphia Water Department's stormwater retrofit grant programs, including grants awarded to date in excess of $6M.

Languages Spoken

Fluent in Spanish and Portuguese

Awards