Peggy O Otum

Practice Areas

Peggy Otum is chair of WilmerHale’s Energy, Environment and Natural Resources group. Ms. Otum represents large corporations, public companies and universities in federal and state environmental enforcement matters and litigation.

Drawing on more than 18 years of environmental enforcement defense experience, Ms. Otum routinely assists clients in conducting internal investigations and responding to multi-faceted governmental investigations brought by a range of federal and state environmental, health, and safety regulators, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB), California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (better known as Cal/OSHA) and the California Department of Toxic Substances Control.

As a leader in the firm’s ESG cross-functional group, Ms. Otum actively advises clients on evolving legal and business considerations related to ESG risks and opportunities, including climate change, environmental justice, and racial equity.

Ms. Otum has been consistently ranked by Chambers USA, Best Lawyers, and Legal 500, among others, and is noted for her “robust command of the law and nuances, as well as the political dimensions of negotiations” and her “ability to handle matters with strength and diplomatic skill.”

Professional Memberships

Ms. Otum is a fellow of the American College of Environmental Lawyers and serves on the Board of Directors of the Environmental Law Institute. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Bar Association of San Francisco, and is a member of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) Advisory Council.

Personal

JD, Howard University School of Law; BSc, Psychology, University of Toronto