Overview
For decades, CPM has fought for environmental justice. CPM is nationally recognized for prosecuting and defending actions on behalf of families, businesses, communities, and government entities injured as the result of pollution, chemical releases, and contamination of drinking water supplies and other parts of our communities.
Protection of our environment is a core belief of CPM. We are committed to advocating for environmental justice. All too often, people powerless to protect themselves are exposed to environmental contamination and disasters, resulting in serious personal injury and property damage. CPM works to hold wrongdoers responsible for their actions.
Environmental justice for the firm goes beyond advocating for clean air, water, and soil. The firm has successfully litigated to protect disadvantaged communities and those disproportionately impacted by the harms of pollution, especially lead contamination. The firm also works to secure clean, safe, and accessible outdoor spaces, to make sure that the effort put into protecting the environment leads to public spaces that can be utilized by all Californians. In recognition of the role all of us play in protecting our planet, CPM represents a wide range of clients in environmental litigation, ranging from water districts throughout the state, to non-profits dedicated to protecting the environment, to local governments seeking to recover for their costs in responding to environmental harms, to victims of wildfires throughout the state.
In addition to our litigation successes, our attorneys have been honored for their environmental stewardship. As a sitting Congressman, Pete McCloskey served six years as Congressional Delegate to the International Whaling Conference and as Congressional Advisor to the Law of the Sea Treaty Delegation. McCloskey served as co-chair of the first Earth Day in 1970 and is a co-author of the 1973 Endangered Species Act. Presently, McCloskey serves on the Advisory Council to the American Land Conservancy.
CPM's founding partner Joe Cotchett has served on and chaired the California State Parks Commission. In 2019, Joe Cotchett and Justin Berger were honored as Consumer Attorneys of the Year by Consumer Attorneys of California for their 20-year fight against the lead paint industry. After years of a trial and appeals, the case resulted in a $305 million dollar settlement that will protect tens of thousands of California children from lead paint poisoning.
In 2019, Green Foothills awarded Cotchett with its Nature’s Inspiration Award “for his lifetime of servitude for justice and dedication to preserving the San Mateo coastline.”
For more information, or to discuss a potential legal matter, please follow up with Kelly Weil.
