WilmerHale is pleased to announce that Davina Pujari, a highly accomplished trial lawyer whose practice intersects environmental as well as civil and criminal law, has joined the firm as a San Francisco-based partner.
A seasoned trial attorney with considerable success helping clients with complex environmental and enforcement matters in federal and state courts, Pujari’s practice focuses on the defense of civil and criminal environmental enforcement actions and prosecutions, environmental litigation against the government and between companies, allocation of environmental costs, and internal investigations. Pujari also handles cases before arbitrators, administrative judges, regulatory agencies and mediators.
Pujari’s practice is informed by her time as an EPA enforcement attorney and environmental prosecutor during which she investigated and prosecuted environmental and white collar cases involving the illegal disposal of hazardous wastes, water pollution, false statements and reports, and obstruction of justice. As an Assistant US Attorney in the Northern District of California, Pujari investigated and prosecuted environmental cases under the Lacey, Endangered Species, and Clean Water acts and other environmental laws.
Pujari is joined by Christopher A. Rheinheimer, who will be special counsel. Rheinheimer has litigated complex cases in state and federal court for clients in the environmental, energy and real estate sectors, including successful challenges to government enforcement actions and voter initiatives that would have banned development and energy production.
Until recently, Pujari and Rheinheimer co-chaired the environmental litigation practice at a Northern California-based firm.
The addition of Pujari and Rheinheimer represents WilmerHale’s ongoing commitment to expanding its West Coast presence to benefit its clients in the region, including industry leaders in sectors vital to the global economy.
Pujari and Rheinheimer also further expand the firm’s capabilities for clients on environmental and energy matters as well as Environment, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG). Pujari, a former federal and state prosecutor and Environmental Protection Agency enforcement attorney, and Rheinheimer will be part of WilmerHale’s industry-leading Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Practice and will work closely with the firm’s litigation team.
“Davina has a well-earned national reputation as one of the leading practitioners in this area” said Susan Murley, WilmerHale’s co-managing partner. “Her environmental law background, and trial, prosecutorial and regulatory work place her among the few practitioners in the nation who can offer clients such a breadth of knowledge and experience. As with Davina, Chris offers our clients a trial lawyer with ample experience and success litigating cases in federal and state courts across California. We’re thrilled to have both on our team.”
“I look forward to working with my WilmerHale colleagues to help our clients solve not just the traditional regulatory and enforcement challenges but emerging ones such as climate change and Environmental, Social, and Governance issues, including environmental justice concerns,” Pujari said. “WilmerHale is really one of the premier firms nationally doing this broad range of work.”
After earning her JD from Lewis and Clark Law School in 1992 (she earned a bachelor’s degree from North Carolina State University in 1988) Pujari’s legal career began at the EPA in Washington, DC. Following a stint in private practice, she returned to public service in 2000 as an Assistant US Attorney in San Francisco. She became a Senior Assistant District Attorney in San Francisco in 2004 before returning to private practice in 2008.
Rheinheimer earned his JD from New York University School of Law in 2007 and his BA from the University of California, Davis in 2004.