Susan M. Cooke Named Fellow in American College of Environmental Lawyers
Head of Firm’s Environmental Practice Group receives peer recognition for pre-eminence in environmental law
BOSTON (October 14, 2009) — Susan M. Cooke, head of the Firm-wide Environmental Practice Group at McDermott Will & Emery LLP and partner-in-charge of the Firm’s Boston Office, is one of 35 lawyers nationwide elected to membership as a Fellow in the American College of Environmental Lawyers (ACOEL). The announcement was made by the organization’s Board of Regents. ACOEL is a professional association of distinguished private sector lawyers who practice in the field of environmental law. Fellowship is by invitation only and reflects peer recognition for preeminence in the environmental law field.
“This is a well deserved honor for Susan Cooke and the contributions she has made in the field of environmental law, especially with respect to chemical regulation,” stated Peter J. Sacripanti, Chair-Designate of the Firm’s Executive Committee. “Susan has been a leader in McDermott’s Environmental Law Practice which is known as one of the most comprehensive in the nation, and she is highly-regarded by our clients for the depth and breadth of her knowledge and experience on a wide range of environmental programs in both the United States and foreign countries. This recognition by ACOEL reinforces the outstanding reputation that Susan has earned in her 30-plus years of environmental law practice.”
ACOEL eligibility is limited to those who have practiced environmental law for at least 15 years and whose practice for the past five years has been at least 50 percent in environmental law. Fellows are evaluated by a nominating committee and approved by the current membership before being asked to join. Members, who include some of the best-known and most experienced environmental lawyers in the country, are dedicated to maintaining and enhancing the ethical practice of environmental law and the development of the law at both state and federal levels.
Ms. Cooke’s environmental law practice covers a wide range of activities, including regulatory analyses and counseling, enforcement actions, permitting and registration activities, brownfields redevelopment, transactional matters and development of legislative and regulatory proposals. Her clients include major energy and industrial corporations and trade associations. Ms. Cooke is listed in Tier One among Massachusetts environmental lawyers by Chambers USA, which describes her as “well regarded for her succinct and pragmatic approach.” She has also recognized by The Best Lawyers in America and Massachusetts Super Lawyers for her practice of environmental law, and is listed as one of the top 10 U.S. environmental lawyers by the United States Lawyer Rankings.
Ms. Cooke is the general editor and principal author of a leading treatise, The Law of Hazardous Waste, and has been a co-editor and contributing author of two editions of the Massachusetts Environmental Law Handbook. She has chaired the Hazardous Waste Subcommittee of the American Bar Association Business Section Committee on Environmental, Energy and Natural Resources Law for several years, and is a member of the ABA's Distinguished Environmental Advocates Advisory Group. After receiving her J.D. degree from Boston University School of Law and prior to entering law firm practice, she served as an enforcement attorney in the New England Regional Office of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
McDermott Will & Emery is a premier international law firm with a diversified business practice. Numbering more than 1,100 lawyers, the firm has offices in Boston, Brussels, Chicago, Düsseldorf, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Miami, Milan, Munich, New York, Orange County, Rome, San Diego, Silicon Valley and Washington, D.C. and also has a strategic alliance with MWE China Law Offices in Shanghai.
