Biography • Environment

Roger Martella is a partner in the environmental practice group at Sidley Austin LLP. He recently rejoined Sidley after serving as the general counsel of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, concluding 10 years of litigating and handling complex environmental and natural resource matters at the Department of Justice and EPA.

Mr Martella's practice focuses on three primary areas. First, he advises companies on developing strategic approaches to achieve their goals in light of rapidly developing demands to address climate change, promote sustainability, and utilise clean energy. Second, he handles a broad range of environmental and natural resource litigation and mediation. Third, he advises multinational companies on compliance with environmental laws in the United States, China, the European Union, and other nations.

Mr Martella was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate as EPA general counsel. In that role, Mr Martella served as EPA's chief legal adviser supervising an office of 350 attorneys and staff in Washington and 10 regional offices. At EPA, he served as agency counsel on six Supreme Court decisions, including Massachusetts v EPA (climate change); Defenders of Wildlife v EPA (finding no Endangered Species Act duty to consult when approving state water programme); EPA v Rapanos and Maine v SD Warren (landmark decisions addressing federal jurisdiction over waters of the United States); Environmental Defense v Duke Energy (addressing Clean Air Act enforcement against powerplants); and US v Atlantic Research Corp (the Court's most recent decision regarding CERCLA).

Mr Martella received his JD from Vanderbilt University Law School in 1995 and his BS from Cornell University in 1992. He is admitted in the District of Columbia and Maryland.