Hunter J. Kendrick

Hunter Kendrick advises clients on a wide range of environmental issues, with a particular emphasis on chemical and product regulatory matters under the Toxic Substances Control Act and related laws.

Hunter leverages experience with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US Department of Justice (DOJ) to assist clients with: 

• Legal issues arising under the Toxic Substances Control Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the Superfund statute (CERCLA), and other environmental laws that regulate chemicals and products 
• Compliance, internal investigations, and enforcement defense related to environmental laws, such as the Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act
• Complex legal disputes under federal environmental statutes, federal transportation statutes, and conservation laws 

Hunter also guides clients through the federal administrative process, including agency rulemaking and associated litigation under the Administrative Procedure Act.

Before joining Latham & Watkins, Hunter held key positions at the EPA and DOJ. Most recently, he served as Assistant General Counsel for the Pesticides and Toxic Substances Law Office at the EPA, where he managed a practice group advising the agency’s program offices and senior leadership on legal issues arising under the Administrative Procedure Act, the Toxic Substances Control Act, the Pollution Prevention Act, and other applicable laws.

During his EPA tenure, Hunter led a 16-attorney practice group that:

• Counseled agency program offices — primarily the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention and the Office of Land and Emergency Management — through the administrative process and, along with DOJ, defended those offices in litigation
• Represented the EPA in meetings with external stakeholders, including federal agencies, environmental groups, and industry representatives
• Advised EPA senior leadership on litigation risks and legal vulnerabilities associated with policy decisions

At DOJ’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, Hunter served as the Division’s Counsel for State and Local Affairs. In that role, he:

• Represented the division in meetings with state and local government environmental law practitioners
• Advised the division’s political leadership on litigation, legislative, and regulatory issues affecting state and local governments
• Coordinated with umbrella groups and regional organizations on litigation matters, enforcement capacity building, and other issues of mutual concern

While at DOJ, Hunter also represented the United States in federal courts in both affirmative and defensive civil litigation to resolve complex legal disputes arising under the US Constitution and other federal laws. 

Prior to his government service, Hunter was a senior associate at a large global law firm, where he specialized in domestic and international environmental law. He also brings a wealth of teaching experience and has taught courses at the University of Virginia School of Law, the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, and Georgetown University. An avid golfer, Hunter has also contributed to The Golfer’s Journal.