Caroline Lee has over a decade of experience representing clients on a wide variety of complex environmental matters. She has extensive experience in enforcement defense, environmental and product liability litigation, regulatory compliance, and advises on corporate and real estate transactions with significant environmental liabilities at stake. Caroline has represented clients in a range of industries, including industrial, chemical, and agricultural sectors, waste handlers, developers and other landholders, advising under the majority of federal and state environmental, natural resources, product safety, and human health and safety laws.
In particular, Caroline is recognized in enforcement defense and comprehensive remediation projects related to contamination across all environmental media, including sediment, groundwater, surface water, soils, vapor, and air. She is particularly noted for her successful handling of complex writ petition challenges to the government’s novel and policy-driven application of environmental laws, especially in California. She works closely with technical and expert consultants to advise on investigation, remediation, waste discharge requirements, and long-term operation and maintenance under federal and state cleanup laws.
Caroline has extensive experience in litigating administrative and judicial writ of mandamus challenges, and in collaborating with environmental agencies to negotiate technically viable resolutions to complex disputes. She has considerable experience with all facets of motion and trial practice, negotiating consent decrees, pursuing contribution/indemnity from responsible parties, defending against California’s Proposition 65 claims, and other environmental dispute proceedings.
Caroline is also deeply involved with the emerging contaminant practice, including advising clients in the changing regulatory environment of PFAS and micro-plastics, for example, as well as climate and ESG laws.
She is actively involved in the broader legal and pro bono community. She is a former member of The Bar Association of San Francisco's Justice and Diversity Center Board of Directors and has been nominated to serve on the Bar Association Board of Directors for 2025.
