Top Environmental Attorneys John Riley and Paul Sarahan Join Holland & Knight in Austin
AUSTIN, Texas (April 9, 2018) – Environmental attorneys John Riley and Paul Sarahan have joined Holland & Knight's Austin, Texas, office as partners. They were both previously with Kelley Drye. They will be members of the firm's national Environmental Litigation Team, which has more than 20 members with decades of experience navigating the complex landscape of environmental regulation and litigation.
"John and Paul are some of the best environmental litigation attorneys in the country," said Mark Davis, executive partner of Holland & Knight's Austin office. "As former directors of litigation at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, they are fantastic resources for Holland & Knight's local and national clients, especially those in the energy and chemical industries."
Mr. Riley represents clients in permitting and enforcement matters in the air, water and waste media. He advises entities in the power generation, hydraulic fracturing, chemical, manufacturing and waste disposal sectors in matters before the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Mr. Riley served as the director of the litigation division at TCEQ from September 1994 to March 1998.
Mr. Sarahan represents clients in the energy, chemical, manufacturing, transportation, technology and retail industries on environmental issues. His experience includes civil and criminal enforcement, permitting, auditing, litigation, workplace safety, air quality, water rights, water quality, waste handling and disposal, and Superfund/CERCLA matters. He served as the director of the litigation division at TCEQ from August 1998 to November 2005.
Both Mr. Riley and Mr. Sarahan are recognized as leading environmental attorneys by Chambers USA and The Best Lawyers in America.
"Holland & Knight is one of Texas's fastest growing law firms and it's exciting to be part of that growth," said Mr. Riley. "We look forward to working with the firm's impressive environmental litigation team, getting to know the firm's clients and helping them solve their toughest problems."
Mr. Riley received a J.D. degree from Boston University School of Law and a B.S. degree from Cornell University. Mr. Sarahan received an LL.M. degree from the University of Houston Law Center, a J.D. degree from the University of Texas School of Law, and a B.B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin.