SAMINA M. BHARMAL is a member of the Environmental practice group in Washington, D.C., which is ranked Band 1 by Chambers USA in 2020. She was selected as Sidley’s 2020 Pathfinder for the prestigious Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD), and has been recognized as a Super Lawyers Rising Star in Environmental Law for 2020.
Samina is the associate lead for the group’s work in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) matters. She advises clients on voluntary emission reduction goal setting and implementation. She provides counsel on green marketing claims and the use of environmental attributes — such as renewable energy credits (RECs), California Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) credits, and Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) credits (RINs) — for achieving net-zero or other greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction goals. She also advises clients on supply chain management and risks under the Lacey Act.
Samina regularly guides businesses through high-stakes district court and appellate litigation, internal investigations, and strategic counseling for civil and criminal matters before federal court, the Department of Justice (DOJ), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and California Air Resources Board (CARB). She represents trade associations in judicial challenges to environmental regulations, including the Risk Management Program (RMP) Reconsideration Rule under the Clean Air Act before the D.C. Circuit, and the Risk Evaluation Rule, Prioritization Rule, and Inventory Reset Rule under the new Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) before the D.C. Circuit and the Ninth Circuit. She also represents clients in litigation arising under the Administrative Procedure Act, including successfully arguing for a preliminary injunction of an agency regulation in district court.
Samina has served as the lead associate on several internal investigations for Fortune 100 companies, where she has reported to company leadership, including C-suite, and boards. Underlying her strategic counseling is deep experience advising manufacturing, midstream oil and gas, refinery, vehicle and engine manufacturing, and energy industries on the Clean Air Act New Source Review (NSR/PSD) program, Cross State Air Pollution (CSAPR) Update Rule and emissions trading, National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), and mobile source regulations for light-duty, heavy duty diesel, and the aftermarket.
Prior to joining Sidley, Samina was an environmental and energy associate in large law firms in Washington, D.C, and served for several years as a law clerk in the Environmental & Natural Resources Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, where she received Department of Justice Honors for Outstanding Achievement and recognition for her pro bono service. During her time at the Justice Department, Samina worked on the Deepwater Horizon litigation and other matters arising under environmental law and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). She also worked directly with foreign delegations from the Middle East, Africa, South America, and Asia on timber and wildlife trafficking enforcement and development of hydrocarbon laws, assisted by her skills in Arabic, Spanish, Urdu, Hindi, Gujarati, and English.