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Litigation Environmental

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More than ever, regulatory and citizen-initiated actions regarding environmental law are demanding decisive responses and measured legal counsel. Our experienced team represents private and public clients on a broad range of environmental issues at the federal, state, and local levels. Clients include publicly traded and privately held companies, public utilities, alternative energy companies and power producers, real estate developers, banks and other lenders, manufacturers, construction companies, and municipalities.

Harnessing big power—in the environment and in the courtroom.

Our attorneys have participated in some of the Northeast’s largest and most significant environmental permitting, compliance, and litigation cases-including Deepwater Wind (the first off-shore wind project in the U.S.), the Rhode Island Attorney General’s lead paint suit, and a mass tort case involving over 3,000 plaintiffs.

We represent energy companies and utilities in project development, renewable energy matters, regulatory matters, permitting and approval, and a wide range of litigation and environmental issues. We have become leaders in the field of renewable energy. We represent several of the country’s foremost developers of wind and solar energy and counsel traditional energy distribution companies to meet renewable energy requirements.

We provide guidance in insurance coverage, including cost cap and pollution liability issues. And, have successfully litigated toxic tort, hazardous waste, and state and federal Superfund cases.

We provide representation in EPA and other regulatory enforcement actions, including:

  • Superfund
  • Clean Air Act
  • Clean Water Act
  • Brownfields (under state or federal programs)
  • Title V permit provisions
  • Community Right-to-Know Act
  • Regulatory compliance
  • Due diligence for corporate and real estate transactions

We counsel clients on environmental permitting issues, such as:

  • Securing permits related to environmental media
  • Pollutant discharges (including air emissions and programs under the Federal Clean Air Act’s new source review and the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System)
  • Work in or near freshwater and coastal wetlands
  • Pollution control technology
  • Complex emissions calculations (e.g. opacity and odor concerns)

Hinckley Allen Claims Important Win for Shoreline Property Owners in Roth v. State of Rhode Island Case

Hinckley Allen, a top provider of effective legal services in litigation, claimed an important win for private property rights in Rhode Island last week. In Roth v. State of Rhode Island, Hinckley Allen challenged the constitutionality of newly e…

Overcoming Zoning Hurdles for Renewable, Clean Energy

Hinckley Allen represented a commercial-scale solar energy provider as it sought to build a solar farm in Rhode Island. Town regulations required the energy provider to obtain a zoning special use permit. Hinckley Allen helped the client manage the zoning p…

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Publication

Waste Advantage: Managing Risks from PFAS in Construction and Demolition

August 6, 2024

Robin L. Main, co-chair of the Environmental and Energy groups and partner in the Litigation & Investigations practice, discusses how to minimize or allocate risks associated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances ("PFAS") in contracting in Waste…

Publication

Area Development: What the Latest EPA PFAS Rule Means for Site Due Diligence

July 23, 2024

On April 19, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a rule listing perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) as “hazardous substances” under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability …

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Firm News

Rhode Island Monthly Honors Five Hinckley Allen Partners for Professional Excellence in Law

May 26, 2026

Hinckley Allen is proud to announce that five of the firm’s partners have been honored in Rhode Island Monthly’s 2026 Professional Excellence in Law awards. This program celebrates leading attorneys whose work continues to shape and strengthen…

Firm News

Robin L. Main Honored as Professional Industry Leader by Providence Business News

May 11, 2026

Hinckley Allen is proud to announce that Robin L. Main, partner and co-chair of the Environmental and Energy Groups, has been recognized as the Professional Services Industry Leader in Providence Business News 2026 Business Women Award…

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