Russell Selman

Russell Bertram Selman is partner of Schiff Hardin LLP. A nationally recognized attorney representing corporate, real estate and power generation companies in environmental disputes, Russell works on many of the largest, most complex, and potentially most expensive environmental matters in the United States.

These high-profile cases require counsel with substantial factual and technical understanding, which Russell has developed during his 30-year career. Whether in court or before an arbitrator, clients benefit from his knowledgeable, yet plainspoken style.

Russell is now advising several leading corporations with Superfund sites in New York, California and in the Midwest. These sites involve century-old processes where the land and adjacent waterways are the joint focus of the EPA or state regulators.

Russell’s clients value his extensive experience, ability to implement overall strategic plans for large projects and identify other responsible parties to share costs. Given the uncertain and often unfair imposition of environmental costs, his careful building-block approach to developing his clients’ cases has proven successful, and convinced many opponents to assess early settlement.

Russell previously served as acting assistant enforcement counsel for the EPA in Washington, D.C. He litigated nationally significant PCB and pesticide cases as the EPA headquarters lead national counsel. Russell also served as a special assistant to the EPA’s General Counsel and developed legal and enforcement policies for EPA’s enforcement and reauthorization of the Superfund statute.

EDUCATION:

• Washington University School of Law, J.D., 1979
• Maxwell School of Syracuse University, M.P.A., 1978
• New College of Florida, B.A., 1975

BAR ADMISSIONS:

• Illinois
• District of Columbia
• Missouri