Edward L. Strohbehn Jr. focuses his practice on environmental compliance, permitting, enforcement and business planning issues.
He brings to his practice years of experience in the public interest and government sectors. He co-founded and served as an attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council (1970-1977). He was executive director of the Council on Environmental Quality, Executive Office of the President, during the Carter Administration (1977-1981). He is a director of the Environmental Law Institute (2005 to present) and was a director of Resources for the Future (1995-2004), both of which are Washington, D.C., nonprofit policy “think tanks” that focus on legal, economic and risk-management policy issues associated with the environment and natural resources. He was a law clerk to Chief Justice Earl Warren (then-retired), United States Supreme Court (1969-1970).
Edward structures deals, negotiates transactions and drafts contracts addressing environmental issues involved in those matters. He provides clients strategic advice about environmental planning issues related to the conduct of their businesses. He provides advice on legislative and regulatory policy issues from strategic planning to legislative and regulation drafting. He handles enforcement, permitting, rulemaking and compliance matters involving federal and state agencies such as the U.S. EPA, the California Department of Toxics Substances Control, the California State Water Resources Control Board and various Regional Water Quality Control Boards, as well as the California Air Resources Board and various Air Quality Management Districts. He often counsels clients about reporting obligations under various environmental laws.
He is a member of Bingham’s Climate Change Group. He closely follows federal and California climate change legislation and regulatory actions, helping draft comments on and providing advice about these actions.
He is also a member of the ASTM Vapor Intrusion Task Group and has helped draft revisions to E 2600, the ASTM Vapor Intrusion Standard. He has helped clients address vapor intrusion issues at contaminated sites.
He lectures frequently at conferences held by the American Bar Association (ABA), Practicing Law Institute (PLI), Continuing Education of the Bar (CEB), California Environmental Bar Sections, American Law Institute (ALI) and RTM Communications Inc.
- Co-author, "ASTM Issues New Vapor Intrusion Assessment Standard for Real Estate Transactions," Bingham.com (May 16, 2008)
- "First-Ever Fees Proposed for Greenhouse Gas Emissions in California," Bingham.com (Feb. 19, 2008)
- "Supreme Court Decision Forces EPA to Reconsider Greenhouse Gas Regulation," The Environmental Counselor, reprint of Bingham Alert (Thomson West, July 2007)
- Chapter co-author, "International Environmental Law," Environmental Law Practice Guide (Matthew Bender, 1991)
- "Policy Changes in Designing a Victim Compensation Fund: A Comparison of California's Fund and the Section 301(e) Report," Environmental Law Reporter, Vol. 14 (March 1984)
- "Proposed New NEPA Guidance," Environmental Compliance in a Changing Legal Environment (PLI, 1983)
- "Recent Resources Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Regulatory Issues," Environmental Compliance in a Changing Legal Environment (PLI, 1983)
- "Recent Superfund Issues: Key Considerations Involved in Settlement Negotiations," Environmental Compliance in a Changing Legal Environment (PLI, 1983)
- "Reasoned Decisionmaking in Regulatory Reform," Environmental Law Reporter, Vol. 13 (1983)
- "The Basis for Federal/State Relationships in Environmental Law," Environmental Law Reporter, Vol. 12 (1982)
- Sustainable Property Transactions: Reconfiguring the Business of Contaminated Site Redevelopments, RTM Communications Conference, San Francisco, Calif. (Oct. 28-30, 2009)
- ASTM Vapor Intrusion Assessment Standard: Inappropriate Presumptions, Los Angeles County Bar Association, Environmental Law Section, Los Angeles, Calif. (Oct. 23, 2008)
- ASTM Vapor Intrusion Assessment Standard: Inappropriate Presumptions, 2008 Environmental Law Conference at Yosemite, State Bar of California Environmental Law Section, Yosemite, Calif. (Oct. 17, 2008)
- ASTM Vapor Intrusion Assessment Standard: Inappropriate Presumptions, 2008 Meeting of ASTM E 50.02 Vapor Intrusion Task Group, Miami, Fla. (Oct. 2, 2008)
- The Best Lawyers in America, Leading lawyer in environmental law (2010)
- Best of the Best USA 2008 Expert Guide
- Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America (2006–2008)
- Super Lawyers, Northern California (2004–2009)
- Who’s Who Legal: California (2007–2009)
- Who’s Who Legal: The International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers (2006–2008)
- Articles and book review editor, Yale Law Journal, Yale Law School
- Phi Beta Kappa
- Council Member, ABA Section on Environment, Energy, and Resources (1998-2001; 1976-1979); chair of Strategic Planning Committee (2000-2002)
- Board of Directors, Environmental Law Institute, Washington, D.C. (2004-present); Chair, Nominating Committee (2005-present); Member, Executive Committee (2006-present)
- Board of Directors, Resources for the Future, Washington, D.C. (1995-2004); Chair, Development Committee (1995-1998)
- Board of Directors, Lawyers Alliance for World Security, Washington, D.C. (1991-1996)
- Leadership Council, Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, New Haven, Conn. (2001-present)
- Global Council, World Resources Institute, Washington, D.C. (1988-present)
- Chairman’s Council, Natural Resources Defense Council, New York, N.Y. (1986-1990)
- Co-founder, Co-chairman, Director, Clifcon Environmental Foundation, San Francisco, Calif. (1984-2005)
- Member, Committee E.50: Environmental Assessment, Risk Management and Corrective Action, ASTM International (2008-present)
- Member, ASTM Vapor Intrusion Task Group, ASTM International (2008-present)
- United States Sustainability Advisory Panel, World Resources Institute, Washington, D.C. (1994-1996)
- Advisory Committee, Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy, New Haven, Conn. (1994-1997)
- Board of Advisers, Journal of Environmental Law and Practice (1994-2000)
- Distinguished Visitor, Forestry and Conservation Program, University of California, Berkeley, Calif. (1985)
- Admitted to practice in California and the District of Columbia
- U.S. Supreme Court
- Yale Law School, Bachelor of Laws, 1969
- Yale University, Master of Arts, 1966
- Yale University, Bachelor of Engineering, magna cum laude, 1963
- Yale University, Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, 1962