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William S. Hatfield
Partner
Newark, NJ
Partner
Newark, NJ
Mr. Hatfield focuses his practice on environmental counseling in complex regulatory and litigation matters, strategic planning, permitting and compliance, defense of state and federal enforcement matters, environmental health and safety audits, and due diligence in acquisitions and divestitures. He represents clients in an array of environmental matters involving the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), and the New Jersey Spill and Landfill Closure Acts. He works with environmental consultants and technical experts on the investigation and remediation of sediment sites and contaminated properties and has extensive experience helping clients navigate through complex disputes and transactions related to allocation of responsibility for cleanup and remedial activities. Mr. Hatfield has represented multiple parties in complicated hazardous waste site matters, and he sets strategy and leads the efforts in a number of joint defense groups. He has also represented clients in matters related to brownfields sites and redevelopment of underutilized and contaminated properties in several states.
In addition, Mr. Hatfield has extensive experience in environmental/permitting due diligence investigations for facilities and assists clients in determining the risks associated with acquiring assets and real property in New Jersey and New York. He has negotiated developer agreements and has assisted and advised clients in connection with environmental issues in contracts and leases related to remediation and permitting compliance issues.
As a lawyer with a master’s degree in the study of environmental law, Mr. Hatfield has considerable educational training and experience with environmental matters from both the technical and policy perspectives. He has significant litigation experience on complex environmental matters involving multiple parties and sites that have been impacted by different sources of contamination. He has trial experience in both the state and federal courts in New Jersey and has significant experience in alternative dispute resolution and negotiation of environmental liabilities among potentially responsible parties (PRPs).
Over the last decade, Bill has had significant involvement in one of the most complex superfund river sediment sites in the nation, representing multiple parties in a federal administrative matter and in a state litigation in New Jersey. He has worked with several joint defense groups, as well as municipal and quasi-public entities, in negotiating one of the largest settlements in the state of New Jersey, which was approved in December 2013. He also has worked closely with the technical consultants and experts related to the investigation and remediation of the sediment contamination, including an evaluation of the major source of contamination through forensic work and fate and transport of contaminants in the river system.
Additional Experience
Representation of several PRPs in CERCLA administrative process related to the Passaic River.
Representation of multiple PRPs in a Spill Act contribution matter in state litigation related to the Passaic River and Newark Bay Complex.
Representation of a specialty chemical company in various environmental compliance activities for multiple facilities in multiple locations in North America.
Representation of a container manufacturing company in a citizen suit, mediation, and contribution action litigations related to RCRA, CERCLA, and common law claims in New York State.
Liaison Counsel for a group of third party defendants in a contribution action litigation related to RCRA, CERCLA, and common law claims in New York State.
Counsel and Trustee for a group of performing parties remediating a former sanitary landfill in New Jersey.
Representation of a trucking and rigging company with respect to the investigation and remediation of former industrial and known contaminated properties in New Jersey.
Representation of multiple PRPs in a government cost recovery litigation under CERCLA and the Spill Act in a landfill matter with approximately $174.2 million in alleged past and future damages; conducted comprehensive due diligence efforts under a voluntary ADR process, including interviews of employees and former employees, preparation of responses to confidential ADR questionnaires, and review of adverse PRP responses; and negotiated comprehensive settlement of case.
Representation of a property owner in private cost-recovery litigation under the Spill Act and common law against former gas station tenants and operators; tried Underground Storage Tank (UST) case for seven weeks in New Jersey Superior Court, Hudson County, before The Honorable John A. McLaughlin; counseled client on UST closure and site investigation issues.
Representation of a metal fabricating company concerning private cost-recovery litigation under CERCLA, the Spill Act, and common law; obtained Spill Act directive on behalf of the client against former site owners and operators, ordering them to remediate the property; tried the case for two weeks in federal district court before the Honorable Garrett E. Brown, Jr.; counseled the client on Industrial Site Recovery Act (ISRA) compliance, Spill Fund application, site investigation and remediation, sale, and subdivision of property for brownfield redevelopment; assisted the client in NJDEP negotiations on variance from technical requirements and in obtaining a no further action letter and covenant not to sue for site to accelerate sale and redevelopment of property.
Representation of a pharmaceutical company on due diligence and brownfield redevelopment of a former industrial site in New York state.
Representation of a property owner in private cost recovery litigation under CERCLA, the Spill Act, the Landfill Closure Act, and common law against former landfill operators; counseled the client on landfill closure and investigation, sale, and brownfield redevelopment of property.
Representation of a specialty chemical company PRP in government cost recovery litigation under CERCLA and the Spill Act and in private cost recovery litigation under the Spill Act and common law regarding a former industrial complex in northern New Jersey.
Representation of a metal can manufacturing company concerning multiple industrial sites in conjunction with a merger, cessation of operations, and sale of industrial properties; counseled client on ISRA compliance and remediation issues and on due diligence and liability issues on brownfield redevelopment of industrial properties.
Representation of a manufacturing company in connection with environmental compliance, enforcement, and permit issues in New York state and in negotiations with USEPA and NYSDEC.
Representation of a pharmaceutical firm with respect to environmental due diligence activities, ISRA compliance, and permitting issues concerning stormwater requirements and cost recovery issues; assisted the client in a petition to NJDEP for Spill Act directive against the site owner for remediation of contamination related to a former tenant.
Representation of a chemical company concerning regulatory compliance and hazardous waste permitting matters, including transferring permit for a hazardous waste facility.
Representation of a plastics manufacturer with respect to environmental due diligence and ISRA applicability and compliance in the acquisition of a publicly held company; counseled the client on numerous compliance issues, enforcement matters, and the investigation and remediation of its industrial properties.
Representation of a telecommunications company on ISRA applicability and compliance issues in various real estate transactions.
Representation of a paint and pigment manufacturing company on ISRA applicability and compliance issues.
Representation of quarry, mining, and asphalt companies on landfill issues, UST issues, air permitting, ISRA applicability, and compliance issues in various real estate and corporate transactions.
Representation of a container manufacturer with respect to ISRA compliance and negotiations with NJDEP concerning the scope of site investigation and cleanup; counseled the client on environmental due diligence and transactional issues concerning the sale and closure of industrial facilities in various states.
Representation of a tape manufacturer with respect to environmental due diligence and allocation of liabilities in a corporate transaction involving the transfer of multiple industrial facilities in several states.
Representation of various industrial clients in a multi-party toxic tort action allegedly arising from a Superfund NPL site in southern New Jersey.
Representation of an industrial company in a private citizen suit concerning a chromate waste site.
Representation of a biosolids treatment and recycling facility concerning environmental due diligence, ISRA applicability, and NJDEP compliance issues.
Vermont Law School, J.D., cum laude, M.S.L., summa cum laude
Brown University, B.A.
United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
Recognized by Best Lawyers®, 2026 Edition: Environmental Law; Litigation – Environmental
Included on the Chambers USA Guide to America’s Leading Lawyers for Business list, Environment
Included on the New Jersey Super Lawyers list, Environmental
Included on the Martindale-Hubbell AV® Peer Review Rated list