Sandi Nichols, Leader of the firm’s Environmental and Natural Resources Practice Group, practices in the areas of environmental, natural resources and land use counseling and litigation, primarily handling compliance and litigation under the federal Clean Water Act (CWA), the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) and related state statutory and common laws, as well as the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). She has handled all phases of litigation through mediation, trial and appeal in state and federal courts throughout California.
Sandi serves as lead counsel in complex, multi-party CERCLA and CWA/RCRA citizen-suit litigation relating to contaminated soil, groundwater, surface water and marine sediments. Her cases have included litigation involving petroleum hydrocarbon contamination, metals, PCBs, PAHs, and VOCs from various industrial operations, shipyards, energy and refinery facilities, bulk fuel terminals, truck stop and service station operations and port-related uses; manufactured gas plant wastes; dioxin; petroleum coke; chemical use and disposal at industrial and commercial office facilities; battery reclamation; and discharges from publicly-owned treatment works and dams. She also has handled indoor air quality litigation and environmental insurance coverage matters.
Sandi assists clients with environmental due diligence and contract negotiations for the sale and leasing of contaminated sites, including counseling clients on the investigation and remedial approaches to vapor intrusion, mold and asbestos issues and the procurement of environmental liability insurance policies. She has assisted institutional trustees in the management of environmentally-impaired trust and estate assets and has litigated eminent domain actions and title and boundary disputes.
Prior to joining Allen Matkins in 2007, Sandi was the Managing Partner of the California Offices of Stoel Rives LLP (2001-2006). She began her legal career with Washburn, Briscoe & McCarthy in 1981 and was its Managing Shareholder from 1996 until the merger with Stoel Rives in 2001.
