Heather is passionate about identifying and mitigating environmental risks, resolving conflicts, and maintaining compliance so her clients can focus on their core business strategies. She skillfully assembles and directs teams of environmental professionals to cost-effectively – and expertly – deliver targeted solutions. She has a U.S. and international practice.
Most recently, Heather functioned as inside environmental counsel for a global leader in the distilled alcoholic beverage industry. During the multi-year project, she developed and implemented the company’s first environmental compliance program; collaborated cross-functionally with manufacturing, government affairs, and capex teams to drive expansion projects forward; presented environmental activities and messaging to key stakeholders, including the company’s executive team, neighbors, and the media; conducted environmental acquisition due diligence and privileged and confidential environmental compliance audits; and negotiated the favorable settlement of civil enforcement actions.
Heather has a particular expertise in air (including aging warehouses, Title V permitting, and PSD avoidance strategies), stormwater, and wastewater issues facing the alcohol beverage industry.
Additionally, Heather is accomplished in defending and managing toxic tort/chemical exposure, land contamination, Superfund, and products liability cases for major energy companies. Her practice also focuses on the challenges presented by emerging contaminants, such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), evolving climate reporting obligations in California (SBs 253 and 261) and Europe (CSRD and CSDDD), and expanding Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regimes across North America and Europe.
In addition to practicing law, Heather taught products liability and legal writing classes on the faculty of a North Carolina law school and worked as an art gallery director and a marketing professional before attending law school.