Clients call on Paul Drucker to handle high-profile litigation and appeals, complex internal investigations concerning environmental incidents, environmental due diligence for corporate and real estate transactions, and regulatory compliance matters and settlements.
Paul is adept at helping clients develop comprehensive legal strategies that take into account their business operations, their commercial interests and their desire to be in compliance with applicable statutes and regulations. Paul’s ability to analyze and streamline complex problems and develop understandable and practical solutions is highly valued by the firms’ clients.
As a member of the firm’s nationally recognized Environmental Law department and its Water Law, Litigation and Appellate teams, Paul represents corporate clients in complex commercial and environmental litigation and arbitration. Paul’s substantial experience in motion practice includes dispositive motion writing and oral argument in state and federal courts throughout the country. He has resolved a wide array of contract, product liability, fraud, toxic tort and related matters, as well as cases involving CERCLA, RCRA, CWA, CAA and other federal and state statutes. Paul also works with municipal wastewater treatment plants in various jurisdictions on complicated compliance and litigation issues.
He regularly drafts federal appellate briefs involving complex environmental issues and was the principal author of a Petition for Writ of Certiorari to the U.S. Supreme Court concerning Clean Water Act issues that received national media attention.
As the founder and leader of the firm’s Pipeline practice team, Paul advises major oil companies and pipeline operators regarding pipeline siting and installation, integrity management issues, pipeline safety regulations, leak response, crisis management, environmental remediation and investigations into pipeline and refinery incidents. He interacts with PHMSA, USCG, EPA and other state and federal regulatory authorities regarding response activities, legal claims, and environmental impacts arising from pipeline and refinery releases.
In addition, Paul counsels major corporations on environmental, health and safety issues in regional, national and international business transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, stock purchase agreements, divestitures and real estate transactions. He frequently manages environmental due diligence, oversees environmental investigations and negotiates environmental provisions in transaction documents. Paul has been involved in a number of high-profile multimillion and multibillion dollar transactions and M&A deals.
Prior to joining Barnes & Thornburg, Paul practiced environmental law and complex commercial litigation at Mayer Brown LLP in Chicago.
More Legal and Business Bylines From Paul M. Drucker
- 'Accidental Release Reporting Rule’ Requires Owners, Operators to Disclose Chemical Accidents to Chemical Safety Board - (Posted On Friday, June 23, 2023)
- A Look At 2018 PHMSA Enforcement Numbers And 2019 Trends - (Posted On Wednesday, April 24, 2019)
- Performing an Internal Investigation of an Environmental Release Incident - (Posted On Wednesday, March 27, 2019)
- Questions to Ask Before an Internal Investigation of an Environmental Release Incident - (Posted On Wednesday, March 20, 2019)
- Keystone XL Permit Approval Continues New Era of U.S. Pipeline Development - (Posted On Tuesday, March 28, 2017)
- Comment Period Opens for Proposed Rule Expanding Regulation of Gathering, Transmission Natural Gas Lines - (Posted On Wednesday, April 13, 2016)
- Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Administration Proposes Rule Expanding Regulation of Natural Gas Pipelines; Invites Industry Comment - (Posted On Friday, April 01, 2016)
- Cleared for Takeoff: Senate Bill Could Pave Way for Use of Drones in Pipeline Operations - (Posted On Thursday, March 24, 2016)
- PHMSA Issues Advisory Bulletins on Best Practices for Underground Gas and Pipeline Maintenance, Snow and Ice Removal - (Posted On Friday, February 26, 2016)
- Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration Issues Proposed Rule for Stricter Liquid Pipeline Safety, Reporting Requirements - (Posted On Wednesday, November 04, 2015)