Erin L. Brooks
Erin L. Brooks
Erin L. Brooks
Office Managing Partner - Chicago
Biography
Erin Brooks is an environmental attorney whose nationwide practice focuses on real estate redevelopment and renewable energy. Erin diligently works to understand her clients’ businesses so that she can effectively support the proactive management of matters across all environmental areas. Clients appreciate Erin’s strategic, business-forward, and creative approach to their most complicated issues.
Clients routinely engage Erin to lead responses to regulatory and enforcement actions, site investigation and remediation, transactional matters including mergers and acquisitions, compliance counseling encompassing all environmental media, and all phases of litigation. Erin partners with corporate clients across a wide range of industries, such as food, beverage and agriculture, manufacturing, metal fabricating, and car rental and fleet management on such nationwide environmental matters.
As part of Erin’s sophisticated brownfield redevelopment practice, Erin routinely represents real estate developers, investors, and sellers in all phases of transactions from due diligence, insurance procurement, and transactional negotiation, including post-closing management of investigation, remediation, and development. Erin appreciates that the early identification of key stakeholders is critical to the success of these projects. She leverages connections to build the right multi-disciplinary team and develop tailored strategic outreach.
Erin is also experienced in resolving claims asserted by governmental agencies and third parties, including high profile toxic tort litigation in state and federal courts. Erin also has substantial experience counseling and defending occupational safety and health (OSHA) matters, and she is a published author on issues affecting OSHA-regulated employers.
Erin’s appreciation of business drivers is well supported by her experience working “hand in hand” with clients on corporate governance issues, such as serving as independent counsel for board committees to conduct large-scale investigations and advising energy industry clients on corporate social responsibility policies. In these capacities, she has played a critical role in evaluating potential compliance issues for the purpose of identifying and implementing proactive solutions, and appropriate remediation as needed.
Erin is actively engaged within her community and serves on the Board of Directors for Operation Food Search, a non-profit organization dedicated to ending hunger in the bi-state area through its innovative nutrition education and advocacy programs. Operation Food Search is well aligned with Erin’s interest in promoting sustainability and leverages her professional experience working closely with the food and agriculture industries to promote community well-being.
Areas of Focus
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Logistics & Industrial
Civic Involvement & Honors
- Chambers USA, Environment (2023)
- Operation Food Search, Board of Directors
- Chambers USA, Environment, "Up and Coming" (2021-2022)
Professional Affiliations
- Missouri Bar Association
- Illinois State Bar Association
- Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis
Admissions
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Illinois, 2013
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Missouri, 2010
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United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois
Education
Saint Louis University, J.D., magna cum laude, Order of the Woolsack, 2010
Truman State University, B.A., magna cum laude, 2007
Related Practice Areas
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Ethylene Oxide Team
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Logistics & Industrial
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ESG & Energy Transition
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Healthcare & Life Sciences
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Brownfields
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Citizen Suits/NIMBY
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Clean Air Act
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Clean Water Law
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Compliance Audits and Internal Investigations
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Cost Recovery Litigation (Superfund/CERCLA and State equivalents)
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Criminal Enforcement
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Endangered Species (ESA)
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Environmental Review (NEPA and State EIS laws)
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Hazardous Materials Transportation (HMTA)
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Hazardous Waste (RCRA)
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Insurance Counseling
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Oil Spills
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Pesticides (FIFRA)
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Reporting Requirements (EPCRA, CERCLA, Prop 65 and other state laws)
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Safe Drinking Water (SDWA)
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Solid Waste and Landfills
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Toxic Substances Regulation (TSCA)
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Transactional Work, Including SEC Disclosures
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Underground Injection Control (UIC)
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Water Rights
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Wetlands
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Mobile Source Emissions and Fleet Management
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Pubs, Clubs & Restaurants
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Sustainable Real Estate
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Financial Institutions
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Food & Agribusiness
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Business & Commercial Disputes
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Environment
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Real Estate
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Health & Safety
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Finance
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Investigations
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Litigation & Dispute Resolution
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Regulation, Compliance & Advisory
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Renewables
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PFAS Team
Resources
Publications
- "A Rule Old and New, Borrowed and Blue: Exxon Adapts State Punitive Liability Law to Craft New Interpretation in Admiralty," 54 St. Louis U.L.J. 357 (2009)
Speaking Engagements
- Speaker, Brownfield Listings conference, Project Empowerment Through Environmental Due Diligence, June 2019
- Moderator, Midwest Environmental Compliance Conference, Contaminated Property: Latest Trends, April 2019
Related Insights
Dec 19, 2024
Dec 13, 2024
Nov 27, 2024
Oct 08, 2024
Sep 13, 2024
May 16, 2024
May 15, 2024
May 03, 2024
Apr 26, 2024