Schiff Hardin LLP Welcomes Russell B. Selman, Bradley S. Rochlen and J. Michael Showalter to the Environmental Group in the Chicago Office

CHICAGO, Oct. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Russell B. Selman, Bradley S. Rochlen and J. Michael Showalter have joined Schiff Hardin LLP from Foley & Lardner LLP's Chicago office. Mr. Selman and Mr. Rochlen are partners and Mr. Showalter is an associate in the firm's Environmental Group, with related practices specifically in the energy sector.

Russell B. Selman

Russell (Russ) B. Selman's nationally recognized practice focuses on representing corporate, real estate and power generation companies in environmental disputes.

Clients choose Mr. Selman to handle their most complex and potentially expensive environmental matters. His work is known for a high degree of factual and technical understanding that he uses to gain very real advantages for his clients. Whether in court or before an arbitrator, Mr. Selman's clients are benefitted by his plain-spoken and convincing positions.

Currently, Mr. Selman is working on behalf of several leading corporations at Superfund sites in New York, California and in the Midwest. These sites involve century-old processes where the land and adjacent waterways are the joint focus of the EPA or state regulators. Mr. Selman's deep experience is prized for his ability to impose an overall strategic vision on large projects and to identify other responsible parties to share costs.

Mr. Selman's litigation instincts mean that clients are protected. Whether or not a matter is in court, his careful building block approach to developing his clients' case convinces opponents to assess early settlement. Given the uncertain and often unfair imposition of environmental costs, Mr. Selman's approach has proven successful over his 30-year career.

Prior to his partnerships with three other national law firms, Mr. Selman served as acting assistant enforcement counsel for the EPA in Washington, D.C., for four years, where he developed legal and enforcement policies for EPA environmental programs and worked on the reauthorization of the Superfund statute.

He is a graduate of Washington UniversitySchool of Law (J.D., 1979), Maxwell School of Syracuse University (M.P.A., 1978) and New College of Florida (B.A., Political Science, 1975).

Bradley S. Rochlen

Bradley (Brad) S. Rochlen is a litigator who represents corporate, real estate and power generation companies, including public utilities, in complex environmental disputes. Mr. Rochlen assists clients in prosecuting and defending hazardous waste control (Superfund) cases, RCRA cases and private cost recovery cases at some of the largest contaminated sites in the country. He also has significant experience in Clean Water Act cases and toxic tort disputes.

Merging sound legal theories with an in-depth technical understanding, Mr. Rochlen designs creative approaches to case strategy in all areas, from one-on-one negotiations to alternative dispute resolution, through courtroom litigation.  

Many contaminated sites contain remnants of industrial operations from more than a century ago. The sites historically contained manufactured gas plants, steel plants, coke plants, or other industrial activity with its own operational processes and the potential to cause contamination. Understanding these operations and their potential impact on real estate and adjacent waterways gives Mr. Rochlen the ability to provide persuasive and cost-effective solutions to complex legal problems involving the EPA, state and local regulators, or private parties.

Prior to joining Schiff Hardin, Mr. Rochlen was with two other national law firms. His practice also included intellectual property litigation at the first of those two firms.

He earned both his law (J.D., 1997) and undergraduate (B.A., History, 1995) degrees from the University of Michigan.

J. Michael Showalter

J. Michael (Mike) Showalter is a litigator whose practice is focused on resolving complex environmental disputes. His past clients span diverse industries including manufacturing, mining, power generation and transmission, the financial and insurance sectors, and process outsourcing.  

While much of his current work focuses on disputes arising under federal statutes including CERCLA, RCRA, and the Clean Water Act, Mr. Showalter has significant experience representing parties involved in class action, toxic tort and regulatory litigation. His practice has focused on distilling complicated industry-specific technical information into the format most appropriate to a given forum, and resolving problems in a manner protecting his clients' long-term business interests. He has also provided advice on legislative and product safety issues geared toward litigation avoidance.

Mr. Showalter has worked with experts in various fields, including medicine, physical sciences, industrial hygiene, toxicology, environmental engineering and risk assessment. He has maintained a significant pro bono practice, and has litigated civil rights, immigration, and post-conviction criminal cases in state and federal courts and administrative tribunals.    

Prior to joining Schiff Hardin, Mr. Showalter was an associate with two other national law firms. He also served as a Judicial Clerk for the Honorable David A. Faber, Chief Judge, U.S. District Court, Charleston, W.Va., and for the Honorable Michael F. Urbanski, U.S. Magistrate Judge, Roanoke, Va.

Mr. Showalter is a graduate of Vanderbilt UniversityLaw School (J.D., 2004) and Columbia College, Columbia University (A.B., Political Economics and Religion, 2000).

Schiff Hardin's Environmental Group

The arrival of Mr. Selman, Mr. Rochlen and Mr. Showalter at Schiff Hardin augments one of the Midwest's premier environmental practice groups. The firm's existing 17-member group enjoys a diverse environmental practice and engages in a wide variety of industries and commercial endeavors such as electric generation, natural gas transmission and distribution, chemical manufacturing, auto and auto parts manufacturing, consumer goods manufacturing, real estate development and investments by financial institutions and equity investors. The group's strength lies in the depth and breadth of experience and backgrounds of its lawyers and the particular problem-solving skills they bring to their work. As such, Environmental group members have consistently been recognized among the best in Illinois and nationally, and the group as a whole has been ranked as one of the best in Illinois.  

"Schiff Hardin has long recognized that environmental issues often drive critical decision-making and business strategy," said Gabriel M. Rodriguez, leader of Schiff Hardin's Environmental group. "Our attorneys are some of the best in the country, and the addition of Russ, Brad and Mike further enhances our top-notch, nationally recognized practice."  

About Schiff Hardin

Schiff Hardin LLP is a general practice law firm representing clients across the United States and around the world. We have offices located in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Lake Forest, New York, San Francisco, and Washington. Our attorneys are strong advocates and trusted advisers – roles that contribute to many lasting client relationships.

SOURCE Schiff Hardin LLP