10100 Santa Monica Boulevard
Suite 2200
Los Angeles, California
90067

310.282.2228

310.919.3825

Albert M. Cohen
Partner

Albert Cohen specializes in environmental law. He has over 30 years of experience handling complex environmental cases, regulatory matters and transactions involving soil and groundwater contamination, hazardous waste, CEQA and NEPA, water law and other aspects of environmental law.

Prior Work Experience

Between 1977 and 1987, Mr. Cohen practiced law with the U.S. government in Washington, DC. He handled numerous environmental enforcement matters in areas involving land, water and air pollution, as well as occupational health and safety. He served as lead counsel for the Department of Justice in the Love Canal litigation, developing key legal theories that became linchpins in the enforcement of federal hazardous waste and contaminated property law. He also handled a series of major asbestos suits, successfully litigating the main government contract issues in a seminal case. From 1987 to 1988, Mr. Cohen served as in-house environmental counsel at Northrop Corporation.

Since 1988, when he moved to Los Angeles and entered private practice, he has handled numerous substantial matters in areas such as Superfund, private cost recovery, environmental impact analysis, regulatory takings, water law and environmental compliance.

For many years, Mr. Cohen represented Cadillac Fairview Corporation, Prentiss Copley Investment Group, Prentiss Properties Trust and PacTrust with regard to environmental issues associated with the Del Amo Superfund site in Los Angeles, California. He successfully challenged the site's listing as a federal Superfund site and handled environmental issues associated with the financing and sale of properties located at and around the Del Amo site.

He successfully represented the county of Los Angeles and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in NEPA/CEQA litigation that was brought to halt construction of MTA's red line through the Hollywood Hills.

In 1999, he brought suit against the county of Santa Barbara for its handling of hazardous wastes at the Ballard Canyon landfill. The case was resolved, with the county paying the largest settlement in its history to Mr. Cohen's clients.

He has handled numerous private cost recovery actions and environmental and toxic tort cases. He represented about 200 parties that sent wastes to the Casmalia disposal site in Santa Barbara County, California, and successfully negotiated a settlement with the EPA that greatly reduced their liability and potential future exposure. He then served as coordinating counsel for a group of about 30 other major parties at the site and developed an approach to negotiations that resulted in a favorable settlement with the EPA. He represented over 70 de minimis parties at the Omega Superfund site in Whittier, California, and currently represents a similar number at the Operating Industries Inc. (OII) site in Monterey Park, California. He has assisted numerous clients in obtaining insurance coverage for environmental claims. He currently serves as counsel to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. with regard to alleged liabilities associated with the BKK Landfill in West Covina, California.

Mr. Cohen has represented clients in various regulatory matters involving the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control Board, local air districts and Regional Water Quality Control Boards. He has also represented clients in major water law disputes involving the Central Valley Project, the Bureau of Reclamation and the Westlands Water District.

Publications/Speeches

Speaker, CERCLA Settlements and PRP Intervention (July 20, 2010)
Co-author, The Floodgates are Opening: Three Branches of U.S. Government Address Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Willis Environmental Risk Newsletter (November 2009)
Speaker, Joint and Several Liability and Arranger Liability Under CERCLA (June 17, 2009)
Author, Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Railway Co. et al. v. United States, Toxic Law Reporter (June 2009)
Speaker, Land Use and CEQA Seminar, Los Angeles, California (March 26, 2008)
Speaker, Federal Brownfields Update - Where Are We? Where Are We Headed? (September 21, 2007)
Atlantic Research Clarifies the Right of Voluntary PRPs to Sue but Still 'Contributes' to the Confusion, Toxics Law Reporter, Vol. 22, No. 33 (August 23, 2007)
Author, A Reminder to Consider the Availability of Historical Liability Insurance Policies When Facing Environmental Contamination Problems, The Metropolitan Corporate Counsel (April 2007)

Justices will Weigh Suits for Costs of Voluntary Cleanups By Brent Kendall, Los Angeles Daily Journal

Distinctions

Named in Southern California Super Lawyers magazine in Environmental Litigation by Law & Politics (2009 and 2010)
Highest "AV Preeminent (5 out of 5)" Professional Rating, Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory

Harvard School of Public Health, M.P.H., 1982

Boston University School of Law, J.D., 1977

Columbia University, B.A., 1974, cum laude with Honors

California

U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit

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Prior Work Experience

Publications/Speeches

Media Mentions

Distinctions