Bernard F Hawkins Jr
(The following information was supplied by the firm)
Partner
Bernie chairs the Environmental Health and Safety Group and applies his scientific background and legal training in working nationally on complex environmental issues, with a focus on Clean Air Act and solid and hazardous waste matters (specifically those involving recycling considerations), as well as matters involving risk evaluation and response to allegations of harm resulting from environmental conditions.
Experience
Following is a selected sampling of matters and is provided for informational purposes only. Past success does not indicate the likelihood of success in any future matter.
- Experience in environmental law, toxic tort and pharmaceutical/drug and medical device litigation
- Involved in permitting, compliance counseling, defending enforcement actions and administrative challenges for multi-faceted stationary sources subject to provisions of the Clean Air Act, including those subject to Prevention of Significant Deterioration (“PSD”) requirements, non-attainment requirements, National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (“NESHAP”) provisions, New Source Performance Standards (“NSPS”) requirements, Title V operating permit requirements and other stationary source state permitting requirements derived from State Implementation Plans (“SIPs”)
- Involved in commenting on and challenging federal rulemakings in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia
- Lead counsel in obtaining RCRA and air permits in challenged proceedings for the first new secondary lead smelter permitted in the United States in over 25 years
- Experience in dealing with indoor environmental quality issues, including experience with response to issues involving mold, asbestos, dioxin, metals, PCBs, chemical copolymers, solvents and vapor intrusion issues
- Managed site remediation matters on a national and international basis
- Received approval from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware to act as special environmental counsel for a manufacturing company during the company’s bankruptcy process
- Retained to coordinate the resolution of a chemical regulation dispute in U.S. jurisdictions and numerous other countries
- Represented clients in cases involving CERCLA, RCRA, Clean Air, Clean Water, TSCA, FIFRA, EPCRA, NEPA, and the Endangered Species Act
- Represented clients in permitting matters, compliance counseling, compliance dispute resolution, negotiation of consent orders and decrees, and in administrative appeals, including resolution of permitting appeals in the hazardous and solid waste arena
Education
- University of South Carolina School of Law, JD, cum laude (1990)
- Associate Editor in Chief, South Carolina Law Review
- Order of the Coif
- Order of Wig and Robe
- University of South Carolina, BS, Biology, magna cum laude (1986)
- Undergraduate and/or graduate education including biology, physical chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, physics, spectrometry, genetics, cell biology, embryology, histology, and gross anatomy
Admissions
- South Carolina
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina
Practice Areas
- Environmental Compliance & Permitting
- Environmental Enforcement & Litigation
- Environmental, Health & Safety
- Environmental – Transactions
- Federal Government Strategies
- State & Local Government Relations
- Toxic Torts