McGuireWoods partner Gregory Evans was recognized by the Los Angeles Business Journal as a 2019 Leader in Law for his pioneering litigation strategies resulting in high-stakes trial and appellate victories in courts across the country.
In his latest victory, Evans led a Montana federal court trial against BP subsidiary Atlantic Richfield Company resulting in 2018’s largest contribution judgment under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA). In Asarco v. Atlantic Richfield Company, the U.S. District Court ordered Atlantic Richfield to pay $28.8 million for its share of groundwater pollution cleanup costs at a Superfund site in East Helena, Montana. This trial victory followed Evans’ successful appeal of four environmental cases in the 5th, 9th and 10th U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals.
“This award could not have been achieved without teamwork. It also underscores the significance of work intended to harmonize business and community interests,” said Evans, who has earned numerous honors for litigation.
The National Law Journal selected him for its elite 2019 Winning Litigators list, and honored him among its 2018 Energy and Environmental Trailblazers. He also has been recognized in Financial Times’ prestigious North America Innovative Lawyers report and in Law360 as an “Environmental MVP.” He has been named a “Star Lateral” by The American Lawyer, and profiled as one of The American Lawyer’s “45 Under 45.” Evans’ trials and cases have been covered by The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg.
Evans serves on McGuireWoods’ Board of Partners. His community affairs and pro bono activities include his longstanding service on the national board of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund Inc., the Catholic Charities of Los Angeles Board of Trustees, the San Francisco YMCA Board of Directors, the Constitutional Rights Foundation Board of Directors, and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund Property Management Board.