Holland & Knight Grows Regulatory Practice Group with Addition of Clarissa Howley Mills in Dallas
DALLAS (May 21, 2026) – Holland & Knight has significantly bolstered its Regulatory Practice Group by adding Partner Clarissa Howley Mills in Dallas. She was most recently a partner with Haynes Boone after spending nearly a decade with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in various roles, including deputy regional counsel for EPA Region 6.
Ms. Mills counsels clients on a broad range of environmental regulatory matters, including agency rulemaking, permitting, government enforcement defense, litigation, due diligence and transactions. She focuses her practice on helping clients navigate complex and evolving regulatory frameworks while aligning legal strategy with operational, business and risk management objectives.
As deputy regional counsel for EPA Region 6, Ms. Mills managed one of the EPA's largest regional attorney offices and provided strategic advice on permitting, emergency response and remediation, state oversight and high-stakes enforcement matters in the five-state region. She has extensive experience advising on matters involving key environmental statutes such as the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, Superfund, and multiple other acts and regulations. During her tenure as the lead senior counsel for chemical enforcement actions, Ms. Mills served as a national advisor investigating industrial accidents under the Chemical Accident Prevention regulations and pesticide, toxic chemicals and hazardous waste programs, securing settlements totaling tens of millions of dollars in penalties and extensive environmental compliance measures.
"Clarissa's background, including senior leadership roles at the EPA, allows her to provide a practical understanding of both regulatory requirements and agency decision-making," said Nicole Elliott, co-leader of Holland & Knight's Regulatory Practice Group. "Her experience aligns seamlessly with the Firm's vision for growth in Texas as we continue to support and meet increasing demand for federal and state environmental counseling and enforcement capabilities, including work related to environmental due diligence, compliance, enforcement matters and related litigation."
"Joining Holland & Knight represents a strategic next step for me to further elevate my client service offerings by pairing my regulatory background with the Firm's market-leading capabilities," Ms. Mills said. "I look forward to working with my new colleagues and contributing fresh agency perspectives and established regional and national relationships that can expand and strengthen the Firm's regulatory and environmental practices."
Ms. Mills received a J.D. degree from the University of Kansas School of Law and a B.A. degree from Kansas State University.