Cermak & Inglin LLP

Cermak & Inglin, LLP (the “Firm”), located at 12121 Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, California, is an environmental boutique established by John Cermak and Sonja Inglin, two experienced senior environmental lawyers, who, in turn, are backed by a group of seasoned environmental lawyers, including its newest partner, Hannah Bloink. The Firm provides cost-effective and practical legal support to clients, many of whom have worked with Firm lawyers for many decades. The Firm also regularly uses contract lawyers where appropriate.

The Firm represents primarily industrial and manufacturing clients in the aerospace, agriculture, chemical, coatings, construction materials, food, gases, healthcare, paper, mining and railroad industries throughout the United States with a focus on administrative and judicial litigation, representation at complex contamination sites, environmental counseling, OSHA/Cal OSHA inspections and enforcement, and the environmental aspects of real estate and corporate transactions. Contact information for key attorneys (partners and counsel) are as follows: John Cermak, [email protected], (w) 442-465-1531, (c) 310-508-5168; Sonja Inglin, [email protected], (w) 442-465-1532, (c) 213-400-4747; Hannah Bloink, [email protected], (w) 442-465-1533, (c) 970-560-9332; and Karen Ciccone, [email protected], (w) 442-465-3811, (c) 310-717-1653.

Environmental Litigation: The Firm represents clients in CERCLA cost-recovery actions and State equivalent statutes, citizen suit actions under federal statutes such as the Clean Water Act and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, toxic tort suits, environmental common law tort actions, penalty enforcement actions under state and federal environmental laws, Proposition 65 cases, appellate court challenges to agency rulemakings, and proceedings before administrative agencies. The Firm also regularly partners with large law firms in environmental litigation matters, such as class actions and CERCLA contribution litigation. These types of cases require Firm lawyers to work closely with experts in a variety of disciplines, including historic operations, chemical fingerprinting, fate and transport, hydrogeology, vapor intrusion, toxicology, and cost recovery.

Contamination Sites: The Firm represents clients at contamination sites, including complex Superfund sites (and State equivalents). The sites range from contaminated groundwater basins with multiple operable units, to massive landfills, contaminated rivers and creeks and contaminated sediment extending over 80 miles or more with multiple operable units, and contaminated sites with commingled groundwater plumes extending across large geographic areas. These types of sites often require a broad breadth of experience, including experience with corporate successor liability issues, insurance coverage, multiparty agreements (such as joint defense agreements, tolling agreements, cooperation agreements, and funding agreements), working with environmental consultants (including an understanding of such disciplines as vapor intrusion, hydrogeology, groundwater modeling and risk assessments), negotiating access agreements, and experience negotiating with EPA and state regulators on remedial investigations and feasibility studies, administrative orders on consent, responding to information requests, and resolving disputes with regulators and other respondents.

Environmental Counseling: On the counseling front, the Firm's lawyers counsel and represent clients on issues relating to water quality, wastewater and storm water compliance, water rights, air quality, hazardous and solid waste, Proposition 65 and environmental compliance, including audits, and self-reporting under state and federal audit/voluntary policies. Typical day-to-day counseling can include issues such as wastewater discharge compliance (including interference, bypass, and discharge monitoring report violations), hazardous waste management (including treatment exemptions, hazardous waste identification and disposal of waste), stormwater management (such as no exposure determinations, best management practices and revisions of stormwater prevention plans), air permit compliance (including coordination of permit applications and facility construction, after the fact permits for unpermitted sources, and source testing). In addition, assistance on the above issues can require Firm attorneys to provide assistance on self-reporting, identifying corrective actions, responding to notices of violations, and negotiating compliance agreements.

OSHA/Cal OSHA: The Firm represents clients in OSHA/Cal OSHA inspections, response to complaints, including whistleblower complaints, appeals of citations, and health and safety counseling and in providing audit support.

Environmental Transactions: The firm's lawyers also regularly assist clients on the environmental aspects of the purchase and sale of real estate and corporate transactions. This includes drafting and negotiating the environmental provisions associated with those transactions, reviewing the environmental assessments and addressing environmental due diligence.