Peter Hsiao

Peter Hsiao has 33 years of experience as a lead trial lawyer. The National Law Journal identifies him as a Trailblazer in Energy and Environmental Law, and is named by Chambers, Legal 500.

Peter Hsiao is head of the West Coast U.S. Environmental, Health & Safety Practice resident in the Los Angeles Office. With his chemical engineering background, he is one of the nation’s leading attorneys in environmental, natural resources and toxic tort law. He is a Regent of the Board of the American College of Environmental Lawyers, former Chair of the State Bar of California’s Environmental Law Section and a former member of the ABA’s Standing Committee on Environmental Law.

He served as senior trial lawyer for the U.S. Department of Justice as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Los Angeles. He was lead trial counsel for the EPA and other agencies, and received the Department of Justice’s Special Commendation Award, the U.S. Attorney’s Office Special Achievement Award, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Golden Eagle Award. He was appointed as a judge pro tem for the Los Angeles Municipal Court and served as a mediator for environmental cases.

Mr. Hsiao is the editor the California Environmental and Natural Resources Law Handbook.  He was president of the board of directors for the Los Angeles County Bar Association Counsel for Justice. He is a life fellow of the American Bar Foundation, former chair of the State Bar of California Committee on Legal Services to the Poor, and recipient of the Wiley W. Manuel Award for pro bono legal services.

He graduated magna cum laude with a B.S. in chemical engineering from the University of Utah in 1982. He received the Outstanding Student Award from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. He received a J.D. from the University of California at Berkeley in 1985, where he won the McBaine Advocacy Award.

EDUCATION:

• J.D., University of California, Berkeley, School of Law
• B.S. Chemical Engineering, University of Utah

ADMISSIONS:

• California

ASSOCIATIONS:

• Fellow and Regent of the Board of the American College of Environmental Lawyers
• Former Chair, Environmental Law Section of the State Bar of California
• Former Chair, State Bar of California Committee on Legal Services to the Poor
• Former Member and Newsletter Author, American Institute of Chemical Engineers
• Former Member, American Bar Association Standing Committee on Environmental Law
• Former Member, American Chemical Society
• Former President of Board of Directors, Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Counsel for Justice