David M. Meezan

Prior to becoming a founding partner of the firm, David was a partner at Alston & Bird LLP, a national Am Law 100 firm where he practiced law for over 11 years. David received his J.D., magna cum laude, and his Masters of Studies in Environmental Law, magna cum laude, from Vermont Law School in 1997. While in law school, he was a member of and Assistant Articles Editor for the Vermont Law Review. He received his B.A. in international studies and French from Emory University in 1994. He is a member of the State Bars of Georgia and Tennessee.

David is a past chair of the Environmental Law Section for the State Bar of Georgia. Chambers USA has listed David in environmental law since 2007. One client quoted in Chambers USA stated: “I feel like he knows everything there is to know about environmental law.” Other honors and recognition include the following:

Chambers USA, America’s Leading Lawyers for Business (2007-Present)

Best Lawyers (2012-Present)

Super Lawyers (2013-Present)

Super Lawyers Rising Stars (2005-2012)

David frequently speaks about environmental litigation and regulatory topics. Most recently, David presented on ethics to a seminar Environmental Law Section of the State Bar of Georgia in March 2018 and spoke about the TSCA amendments under the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act at the 2017 Environmental Law Summer Seminar presented by the Environmental Law Section of the State Bar of Georgia.

Serving as national environmental counsel to Caraustar Industries, Inc., including serving as environmental counsel to the company in its acquisition of The Newark Group.

Serving as litigation counsel to Fortune 500 global aerospace, defense, and security company in multi-million CERCLA cost-allocation arbitration before the American Arbitration Association.

Successfully represented a Fortune 500 global marketer of consumer and commercial products in TSCA, FIFRA, and Clean Air Act compliance issues and related self-disclosures to U.S. EPA.

Successfully represented multiple corporations on TSCA Section 5 issues and matters under the statute’s reporting obligations, including a national manufacturer of explosives, a global consumer products company, and a national industrial minerals company.

Serving as hazardous materials transportation counsel to Fortune 100 non-alcoholic beverage company.

Successfully represented a major industrial minerals company on TSCA compliance issues arising out of an EPA investigation.

Successfully defended a leading global flooring manufacturer in nuisance litigation.

Defended major energy resources company in putative class action litigation filed in federal district court and counseling the company in connection with thousands of threatened mass-tort claims stemming from alleged emissions from manufacturing facility.

Represented a major utility petitioner in EME Homer City Generation, L.P. v. Environmental Protection Agency, Case No. 11-1302 (D.C. Cir.), challenging the EPA’s promulgation of the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule.

Represented Fortune 500 global security company in connection with remediation activities at a former facility in Georgia.

Defended largest Fixed-Base Operator in Georgia in a RCRA enforcement matter brought by U.S. EPA.

Successfully defended the City of Atlanta in litigation brought by Fulton County, Georgia challenging the City’s waste-hauling contracts. The case resulted in the Georgia Supreme Court invalidating historic flow control legislation on dormant commerce clause grounds. See Fulton County v. City of Atlanta, 280 Ga. 353, 629 S.E.2d 196 (Ga. 2006). Successfully obtained an award of attorneys’ fees for the City of Atlanta as a result of the invalidation.

Successfully defended flow control ordinances adopted by the City of Albany, Georgia and Dougherty County, Georgia from constitutional challenge. See Quality Compliance Servs. v. Dougherty County, 553 F. Supp. 2d 1374 (M.D. Ga. 2008).

Lead counsel for Augusta-Richmond County, Georgia in successful litigation against the County’s landfill gas contractor.

Lead counsel for Orange County, North Carolina in a complex landfill gas transaction involving the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Successfully negotiated CERCLA settlement for the subsidiary of a global textile manufacturer for alleged liability for response costs at the Sauget Area 1, Sauget Area 2, and Clayton Chemical Sites in Sauget, Illinois.

Counseled international aluminum company in connection with alleged CERCLA and New Jersey Spill Act liability at the Diamond Alkali Superfund Site and Lower Passaic River Study Area.

Counseled major industrial minerals company on unique FIFRA compliance issues and a related self-disclosure to U.S. EPA.

Obtained for a Fortune 50 worldwide transportation and logistics company the dismissal of a RCRA citizen suit litigation brought by a California environmental organization and the dismissal of toxic tort litigation brought in West Virginia.

Obtained for Fortune 50 diversified chemical company favorable resolution in a multi-party New Jersey Spill Act case and in a cost-recovery case in Georgia.

Designed and implemented an environmental audit program for world’s largest producer of outdoor power products at facilities throughout the United States. Counseled client through successful voluntary disclosures to U.S. EPA in connection with certain regulatory findings made during the audit process.

Submitted comments on behalf of clients to more than a dozen Department of Transportation hazardous materials rulemaking dockets, defended numerous hazardous material transportation civil penalty matters brought by the FAA, PHMSA, and the FRA, and counseled numerous clients on domestic and international hazardous materials transportation regulatory issues.