JUSTIN SAVAGE is global co-leader of the firm’s Environmental, Health, and Safety practice and leads the Automotive and Mobility sector team. Justin focuses on high-stakes environmental, health, and safety litigation and strategic counseling, including government enforcement actions, internal investigations, and rulemaking challenges. Justin is recognized for “his litigation and trial prowess in major environmental cases” and his “understanding of regulators’ viewpoints” (2017) by Chambers USA, which has ranked him for Environment in District of Columbia (2017–2025) and Transport: Road (Automotive) in USA—Nationwide (2023–2025). Other market recognitions include receiving the Law360 “MVP” Award (2018, 2024) and the National Law Journal’s “Energy & Environment Trailblazer” (2021).
Justin A. Savage
Justin’s clients concentrate in heavily regulated industries, including auto and mobility, energy, refining, chemicals, wood products, and mining. Justin litigates and counsels across the spectrum of U.S. environmental, transportation, and administrative laws, including the Clean Air Act (Title I, mobile sources, and fuels), climate change, incident response, RMP, NHTSA, Clean Water Act, CSB investigations, CERCLA litigation, APA claims, FOIA litigation, NEPA, and the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Prior to joining Sidley, Justin worked as an environmental partner at a large international firm where he earned national recognition for his environmental work and served on the Leadership Team of the Global Auto Sector Group. He served for nearly a decade at the Environmental Enforcement Section of the U.S. Department of Justice, where he led teams in several multi-billion dollar enforcement cases. In his 25-year career, Justin has regularly taught on a range of environmental and litigation topics.
For several years, Justin served as an instructor at the Justice Department’s National Advocacy Center where he taught hundreds of Assistant U.S. Attorneys and other agency lawyers on topics that included trial advocacy, evidence, and the Clean Air Act. Justin regularly serves as a lecturer for the American Law Institute’s Environmental Litigation course and the D.C. Bar’s course on effective advocacy in the rulemaking process.
Experience
- Representative Matters
- Memberships and Activities
Justin’s representative matters include:
In the auto and engine sectors, representing companies, boards, and senior executives before EPA, CARB, DOJ, NHTSA, and/or the SEC in civil and criminal enforcement proceedings, as well as conducting numerous internal investigations, audits, due diligence reviews, and compliance engagements over alleged AECDs, IUVP, and IUCP, tampering, OBD, fuel economy, delegated assembly, safety defects, TREAD reporting, and battery-related compliance issues
In the energy sector, representing refiners, mid-stream companies, and other heavily regulated industries in criminal investigations, civil enforcement actions, and litigation arising from major incidents, including the successful defense of a midstream company in an environmental criminal investigation that resulted in a declination of prosecution
Advising companies, boards, and investment funds on managing risks from emerging contaminants, such as PFAS, as well as defending companies in individual PFAS matters
In the construction and wood product industries, defending companies and individuals in criminal and civil government investigations and enforcement actions, including matters involving TSCA formaldehyde standards, the asbestos NESHAP, and lead paint
Performing environmental diligence on M&A, particularly the risks of emerging regulations and pending investigations
United States v. BP Products North America Inc. et al (N.D. Ohio) (refinery CAA consent decree)
United States v. Derive Systems, Inc. (D.D.C.) (Title II consent decree for aftermarket tuners)
United States v. Hyundai Motor Co. (D.D.C.) (Title II consent decree for OEM on road load and fuel economy)*
United States v. Lima Refining Co. (N.D. Ohio) (refinery CAA consent decree)
Representing trade associations, ad hoc coalitions, and companies in major environmental rulemakings and related APA litigation, including AFPM, API, the Chamber of Commerce, ACC, the RMP Coalition, and the Air Stewardship Coalition
*Some of the above matters were handled prior to joining Sidley.
- Member, Automotive News Research & Data Center Advisory Committee (2021 – present)
- Leadership Council, Environmental Law Institute (2021 – present)
- Member, Environmental Editorial Advisory Board, Law360 (2019 – 2020)
- Chair, Environmental Regulation Committee, Energy Bar Association (2019 – 2020)
- Fellow, American Bar Foundation
- D.C. Bar, Steering Committee on Administrative Law and Agency Practice Section (2013 – 2016)
- American Bar Association, Environmental Enforcement and Crimes Committee, Vice Chair (2017 – 2018)
- Member, Society of Automotive Engineers
Capabilities
- Environmental, Health, and Safety
- Automotive and Mobility
- Crisis Management and Strategic Response
- Government Strategies
- Regulatory Litigation
- White Collar Defense and Investigations
- APA Litigation & Regulatory Strategy in the Pre-Litigation Phase
- Clean Air Act
- Clean Air Permitting and Appeals
- Clean Water Act
- Cleantech
- Climate Change
- Compliance Counseling - White Collar
- Compliance Management
- Economic Analysis
- Environmental and Toxic Torts and Public Nuisance Litigation
- Environmental Appeals
- Environmental Crisis Management
- Environmental Enforcement and Internal Investigations
- Environmental Experience in the Energy Sector
- Fuels
- Grand Jury Investigations
- Incident Response and Process Safety
- Internal Investigations
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
- Natural Resources, Permitting, and Project Development
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
- Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances
- Preemption
- Regulatory Advocacy and Counseling
- Shale Development and Hydraulic Fracturing
- Toxic Tort Crisis Management and Strategic Response
News & Insights
Credentials
Admissions & Certifications
- District of Columbia
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 4th Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit
- U.S. District Court, District of Columbia
- U.S. District Court, E.D. of Virginia
- Virginia
- U.S. District Court, N.D. of Indiana
- U.S. District Court, District of Alaska
- U.S. District Court, N.D. of California
- U.S. District Court, District of Colorado
- U.S. District Court, N.D. of Illinois - General
- U.S. District Court, C.D. of Illinois
- U.S. District Court, S.D. of Indiana
- U.S. District Court, E.D. of Louisiana
- U.S. District Court, M.D. of Louisiana
- U.S. District Court, E.D. of Michigan
- U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
- U.S. District Court, E.D. of Missouri
- U.S. District Court, S.D. of Ohio
Education
- McNeese State University, B.A., 1994
- University of Virginia School of Law, J.D., 1997