Maureen F Gorsen

Practice Areas

MAUREEN GORSEN practices at the intersection of public policy, litigation, and regulatory advocacy with a keen sense of her clients’ business objectives. She is a member of Sidley’s Environmental practice, focusing on enforcement defense and regulatory compliance. Maureen has defended clients in both federal and state enforcement matters, including hazardous waste, stormwater, air quality, AB 32 (carbon credits, LCFS, GHG and ESG disclosures), Prop 65, product labeling, food packaging, gasoline market regulation and business and tax regulation. She develops strategies for regulatory and permit compliance for environmental, financial, tax, consumer products, and supply chain regulation issues. Maureen also assists clients in developing corporate policies to reduce product liability risks and meet sustainability, ESG, climate, supply chain, anti-slavery and human trafficking, and conflict minerals statutes. She has a proven track record of coordinating responses to corporate emergencies, surprise government investigations, and catastrophic events, where quick action and strategic insight are critical to protecting a company’s brand.

Maureen is the former general counsel of the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) and the California Natural Resources Agency, with broad oversight of all California state, regional, and local environmental agencies (e.g. CARB, CEC, CalGEM, RWQCBs, AQMDs, and County DAs). In both roles, she was involved in the enforcement of California’s environmental laws, including AB 32, Prop 65, the Endangered Species Act, Coastal Act, and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).