Ryan Kemper

Practice Areas

Ryan Kemper has a broad and diverse practice serving clients navigating sophisticated matters related to air, water, land, energy, agriculture, emergency response and climate issues. He serves as co-chair of Thompson Coburn’s Environmental Law group and has successfully handled cases across the country under the full spectrum of federal, state, and local environmental laws and regulations.

Ryan serves as lead counsel for clients in multiparty complex litigation, defends civil and criminal enforcement, handles government investigations, leads permitting actions and negotiations, litigates administrative actions, and counsels clients on a wide array of regulatory compliance matters. Ryan has also responded to releases, accidents, spills and other incidents to provide on-the-ground practical advice and crisis strategy assistance to clients handling emergency situations.

Ryan has over a decade and a half of litigation experience from case initiation through final resolution, including trial, with an emphasis on environmental, agriculture, products liability, and property cases. Ryan currently serves as lead counsel for clients in multiple high-profile Superfund cases. He also has extensive experience handling expert discovery and developing technical evidence.

Ryan’s regulatory and counseling work for clients covers a wide spectrum of environmental issues including matters under the Clean Air Act (CAA), the Clean Water Act (CWA), Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), the Resource Conservation Recovery Act (RCRA), the Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act (EPCRA), the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).

Ryan also counsels clients on climate, ESG, and environmental justice issues. Ryan has handled significant air and climate issues for over fifteen years and has advised clients with regard to carbon sequestration, GHG reporting and accounting, and the environmental aspects of government incentive programs for carbon offsets and credits, including clients in the energy sector. He also has substantial experience with major source permitting and mobile source emission rules. He also has helped clients evaluate ESG issues and assisted clients with community outreach in permitting and other projects.

Ryan believes strongly in volunteerism and community service. Ryan is a board member of the United Way of Greater St. Louis and is the Chair of the Board’s Public Policy Committee. He also serves as a Planning Commissioner for the City of O’Fallon, Illinois, and is a board member of the St. Clair County Special Emergency Services Association, a non-profit that assists first responders with highly specialized expertise and technical equipment (HAZMAT Response, Technical Rescue Response, K-9 Search and RMERT) during times of crisis. Ryan was named to the St. Louis Business Journal’s “40 under 40” class in 2017 and is an alum of Leadership St. Louis.