Robert D. "Bob" Mowrey

Bob Mowrey represents clients facing complex environmental and energy matters, including litigation, enforcement and regulatory advice. His preeminence in his field has been recognized with listings in Best Lawyers in America; Chambers USA America’s Leading Business Lawyers; Who’s Who Legal; Legal 500; and LawDragon.

Prior to becoming a founding partner of the firm, Bob spent 21 years practicing at Alston & Bird, LLP, a national Am Law 100 firm, where he was the long-time chair of Alston’s Environmental and Land Use practice group. During his tenure, the prominence of the group rose to a national level. He also formed and chaired Alston’s Energy and Sustainability practice, which in the short period since it was formed, saw national and international recognition for climate change and renewable energy expertise.

Bob has handled a wide range of environmental-related matters on a nation-wide basis, including environmental and toxic tort litigation brought by private plaintiffs and enforcement actions brought by state and federal governmental entities. Many of these matters have presented “bet the company” scenarios.

Bob has also focused on cutting edge climate change issues and has advised clients on emerging greenhouse gas emission regulatory issues in the United States and abroad. He is experienced in structuring and drafting Emission Reduction Purchase Agreements under the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism as well as under domestic voluntary carbon credit regimes.

Bob received his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Chicago Law School in 1988, and he received his B.A., summa cum laude from Wittenberg University in Springfield Ohio in 1985. He has regularly been asked to teach courses as an Adjunct Law Professor at Emory University School of Law.

Bob is a past chair of the Environmental Law Section for the State Bar of Georgia. He frequently writes and speaks on environmental legal issues.

Representative Experience

• Led negotiations with U.S. EPA and U.S. Department of Justice on residential lead investigation and cleanup action involving up to 12,000 yards valued at $50 million by EPA.
• Led civil litigation on cleanup cost claims alleged at up to $500 million involving alleged disposal of PCB–contaminated foundry materials. Led class action defense relating to same circumstances, achieving dramatic narrowing of class claims.
• Handled simultaneous state and federal enforcement investigations and residential class action brought against a California chemical company involving interstate transportation of wastewater alleged to have released gases containing neurotoxins. Investigative bodies included U.S. EPA, the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry, the Alabama Department of Environmental Protection, the Georgia Environmental Protection Agency, and the Fulton County Health Department. Achieved favorable settlement on class action and favorable outcome on agency investigations.
• Led defense of a municipal government on an effort to invalidate its waste handling contracts for over 500,000 residents and businesses. Prevailed in obtaining a denial of a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction and obtained a dismissal of all claims. Argued the ensuing appeal to the Georgia Supreme Court, resulting in successfully obtaining a Supreme Court ruling invalidating as unconstitutional a state statute limiting waste transportation across county lines.
• Led internal investigation, multi-agency enforcement defense and third party litigation in connection with major international corporation’s discovery of a vendor’s illicit misappropriation and mishandling of significant quantities of hazardous waste, described by the company as the single most important legal issue it has faced.
• Handle major groundwater investigation and remediation issues at site declared “Georgia’s number 1 superfund site” by EPD Director.
• Advise Fortune 50 company on a number of carbon reduction projects being evaluated or pursued for their potential to generate Certified Emission Reductions or other types of carbon credits.
• Advice to major trade associations on carbon capture and storage strategy, liability and policy issues