Tackling pollution efficiently and economically

Michael Mostow is an experienced “dirt lawyer,” advising commercial and industrial clients on business matters involving state and federal environmental laws and regulations. Working with clients in a variety of industries throughout the U.S., Michael advises on:

• Regulatory compliance and enforcement matters involving RCRA, CERCLA, CWA and other federal and state environmental laws
• Complex environmental transactions
• Environmental insurance
• Public/private partnerships (PPP/P3)

Clients know Michael to be a skilled problem-solver, helping them understand potential threats and opportunities presented by the regulatory landscape at the federal, state and local level. Efficiently navigating the unique business and regulatory circumstances facing each client, Michael communicates legal and business options clearly, working to develop solutions tailored to the timetable and long-term business goals of his clients.

Bar Admissions

• Illinois

Education

• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (B.A., magna cum laude, 1987)
  • Bronze Tablet (top 3%) from the University of Illinois, recipient

• Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law (J.D., 1991)

• "Environmental Insurance in Transactions"
• "Evaluating and Managing Environmental Risk in Business Transactions"
• "How to Mitigate Your Losses After An Explosion and Chemical Release -- A Real World Example"
• "Pending Environmental Legislation"
• "Pending Environmental Legislation"
• "Using Environmental Insurance in Deals with Environmental Risk"
• "Using Environmental Insurance"
• Construction Insurance: A Guide for Attorneys and Other Professionals
• Cynthia Faur, Michael Mostow and Lauren Harpke Write Law360 Article About A Potential Proposal for Hazardous Substances
• Cynthia Faur, Michael Mostow Write Article for Journal of Federal Agency Action About Environmental Impact of Recent Supreme Court Decisions
• EPA Approves ASTM E1527-21 Phase I ESA Standard for All Appropriate Inquiry
• EPA Issues its Long-Awaited Proposal to Designate Certain PFAS as CERCLA Hazardous Substances
• EPA’s Designation of Certain PFAS as Hazardous Substances Under CERCLA Will Have Wide-Ranging Impacts
• New Phase I Standard ASTM E1527-21 Authorized for All Appropriate Inquiries Starting February 13, 2023
• Seventh Circuit Says Joint and Several Liability is Alive
• The Future of Environmental Regulation after the Supreme Court Decisions in Loper Bright and Corner Post
• U.S. EPA's Jurisdiction Over Wetlands Dries Up Under Landmark Supreme Court Ruling
• USEPA Announces Policy of Enforcement Discretion Related to COVID-19 Crisis
• USEPA Issues Interim COVID-19 Guidance for Environmental Cleanup Site Field Work Decisions
• “Ethical Issues Created by Reservation of Rights Letters”
• “Hot Topics in Environmental Law”
• “Impact of the Supreme Court’s Decision in Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Ry. v. United States: Arranger Liability After Burlington”

Seminar

• Business Law Training | Evaluating and Managing Environmental Risk in Business Transactions
• Business Law Training: Environmental Insurance – When Neither Buyer nor Seller Is Willing to Take the Risks Associated with Pollution