Maureen F. Gorsen

MAUREEN GORSEN practices at the intersection of public policy, litigation, and regulatory advocacy with a keen sense of her clients’ business objectives. She focuses her practice on enforcement defense and regulatory compliance. Maureen has defended clients in both federal and state enforcement matters, including hazardous waste, emissions controls, stormwater, air quality, AB 32, Prop 65, product labeling, plastic packaging, and business and tax regulation, from CARB, DTSC, CalRecycle, DPR, DPMO and State AGs, District Attorneys and NGO plaintiffs. She develops strategies for regulatory and permit compliance for environmental, financial, tax, consumer products, and supply chain regulation issues. Maureen leads global teams in developing corporate policies to address GHG and ESG reporting across multiple jurisdictions including Europe, Canada, and California, to reduce product liability risks and meet sustainability, supply chain, plastic packaging, anti-slavery and human trafficking, and conflict minerals statutes. She has a proven track record of coordinating responses to corporate emergencies, surprise government investigations, and catastrophic events, where quick action and strategic insight are critical to protecting a company’s brand.

Maureen is the former general counsel of the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) and the California Natural Resources Agency, with broad oversight of all California state, regional, and local environmental agencies (e.g. CARB, CEC, CalGEM, RWQCBs, AQMDs, and County DAs). In both roles, she was involved in the enforcement of California’s environmental laws, including AB 32, Prop 65, the Endangered Species Act, Coastal Act, and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

Maureen is the also former director of the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), where she directed regulation of waste, soil, and water cleanups under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and brownfields laws. She spearheaded the California Green Chemistry Initiative and resulting laws governing chemicals under the California Safer Consumer Products rules and other states’ products programs and federal Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) reform.

Maureen is recognized in Band 2 by Chambers USA in Environment—California (2021–2025), with clients stating that she “is a California expert and is very helpful digging into and explaining California regulatory and legal issues and explaining how the legislative process works” and “her individual strength was decisiveness, pointing out strategy flaws and developing alternative strategies” (2024). Maureen is listed among the Lawdragon “Green 500: Leaders in Environmental Law” (2023) and in Who’s Who Legal: Environment (2023–2024). The National Law Journal named her an “Energy & Environmental Trailblazer” (2021) and highlighted her instrumental role in helping pass the Global Warming Solutions Act, which allowed California to become the first state to regulate climate change. Maureen has also been named in The Best Lawyers in America for Environmental Law every year since 2013.

A sampling of Maureen’s representative experience includes:

• SunOpta, Inc. in the disposition of certain assets of its frozen fruit operations to Canadian-based frozen food manufacturer, Nature’s Touch.
• Gasoline marketers in litigation and regulatory advocacy regarding the California Energy Commission price gouging and spot market transaction rules.
• Large industrial landowners in litigation on allocation of remediation costs with tenants and neighboring industrial uses.
• Clients in litigation against the California Department of Toxic Substance Control, including obtaining a writ of mandate relating to the regulation of scrap metal recycling facilities.
• Secured victory for a client before California’s State Water Resources Control Board granting a time schedule order (TSO) through the end of 2023.
• Settled an EPA enforcement action against a client’s former subsidiary for hazardous waste violations at its facility in Union City, California, reducing the initial multimillion-dollar penalty request to US$120,000.
• A client against violations of the RCRA and Clean Water Act in connection with the client’s chemical plant in Pittsburg, California. Negotiations over the alleged surface water discharge and waste handling issues resulted in a US$40,000 settlement.
• Regulatory advocacy on low carbon fuel standards and cap and trade regulation amendments before the California Air Resources Board (CARB).
• Litigation in appellate court against the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for administrative law violations. Regulatory advocacy on behalf of the automobile industry regarding regulation of automobile components by the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA).
• Filed an amicus brief on behalf of the California Manufacturers & Technology Association challenging the auction component of the California cap and trade rules under AB 32.
• Aerospace parts manufacturers, food processors, and hospitals before CARB on allowance allocations under AB 32.
• Advising clients on the EPA’s Toxic Substances Control Act chemical data reporting rule.
• Preparing web, document, and product label disclosures under SB 657 and related human trafficking, conflict minerals, and supply chain legal requirements.
• Advise clients on Prop 65 compliance.
• Advised a client on green chemistry issues affecting their LEED green building certification regarding indoor air quality.
• Developed litigation and regulatory advocacy strategy for a client and suppressed new biological and genetic testing regulations by a state agency.
• Secured for a client regulatory approvals for the residential use of a fully constructed mixed-use project in Oakland, California that was previously the subject of underground storage tank removals, remediation, and soil excavation.
• Developed regulatory and media advocacy strategy for a client and obtained the repeal of onerous NPDES permit conditions.
• Settled large multijurisdictional cases alleging improper labeling, packaging, and disposal of consumer products.
• Provide legal memoranda and opinions on the eligibility of projects and products under the renewable portfolio standard, rechargeable energy efficiency standards, and carbon allowances under AB 32.
• One of the nation’s largest wholesale flower distributors in convincing the city of Los Angeles during the COVID-19 pandemic that it is an essential business in time for the client to reopen and capture holiday sales.

Some of the above matters were handled prior to joining Sidley.

• Advisory board member and adjunct professor of administrative law, Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at the University of California-Santa Barbara
• Member, California Manufacturers and Technology Association
• Member, Interstate Chemicals Clearinghouse
• Member, International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization
• Member, TechAmerica
• Member, ABA Section of Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice, Consumer Specialty Products
• Member, Household & Commercial Products Association
• Member, ABA Administrative Law Committee
• Member, ABA Section of Environment, Energy and Resources; Pesticides, Chemical Regulation, and Right-to-Know Committee
• Member, National Brownfield Association, Advocacy Committee
• Founder, California Brownfields Revitalization Advisory Group (BRAG)

• International Rescue Committee — Legal advocate for asylum in the U.S. for two Iraqi Sunni families in refugee camp in Jordan, and transwomen from Sudan.
• Educational Advocacy — Advocacy for proper placement and educational opportunities for an autistic girl misplaced in disciplinary school for behavioral issues.