Thomas C. Pearce

thomas.pearce@lw.com

+1.212.906.2956

Profile

Thomas Pearce is an associate in the New York office of Latham & Watkins.

Mr. Pearce is a member of the Environment, Land & Resources Practice and the Litigation & Trial Department. He represents clients in environmental, commercial, products liability, and toxic tort litigations. He also advises clients on environmental regulatory and transactional issues relating to federal environmental laws, including the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), the Clean Air Act (CAA), and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), as well as their state equivalents. He has represented clients across a variety of sectors, including manufacturing, chemicals, paint and coatings, and oil and gas.

Mr. Pearce is also an active member of the firm’s pro bono program and is a recipient of the firm’s 2020 Robert M. Dell Prize for Extraordinary Pro Bono Service as part of a team successfully litigating Voting Rights Act claims in New York.

Mr. Pearce is admitted to practice in the State of New York, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

Experience

Mr. Pearce’s experience includes representing:

A chemical company in defending multiple per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) regulatory and litigation matters, including natural resource damages claims, putative class actions, government enforcement actions (including unilateral orders), personal injury and property damage claims, and medical monitoring claims
Multiple clients in connection with regulatory issues pertaining to PFAS
Several clients in the investigation and remediation of contaminated sites under CERCLA, including the Diamond Alkali Superfund Site
A coatings manufacturer in defending New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection claims pertaining to a contaminated site in Newark, New Jersey
A utility in connection with the mitigation of the methane leak from the Aliso Canyon underground storage field in Porter Ranch, Los Angeles
A multinational energy corporation in connection with multiple state-wide MTBE litigations
A property owner regarding the remediation and sale of a contaminated site subject to the New Jersey Industrial Site Recovery Act (ISRA)
The purchaser of a 50% equity interest in a cogeneration facility located within a complex undergoing remediation pursuant to ISRA
A leading US pharmaceutical company in a contractual dispute against a Swiss company relating to Medicaid reimbursement

Thought Leadership

“The Missing Component: Incorporating Biodiversity into Natural Resource Remediation and Restoration” American Bar Association Article (February 2024)
“IRS Clarifies Rules for Energy Community Bonus Tax Credits” Latham & Watkins Article (April 2023)
"Updated Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Standards, Recently Incorporated by EPA, Highlight Transactional Risk Presented by PFAS and Other Emerging Contaminants" American Bar Association Article (April 2023)
“Treatment of PFAS Under New Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Standards Highlights Transactional Risk” Latham & Watkins Article (December 2021)
“US Supreme Court Decision May Affect NRD Trusteeship Determinations” Latham & Watkins Article (December 2021)
“Interior Department Solicits Comments on Natural Resource Damage Assessment Regulations” Latham & Watkins Article (August 2018)
“Will Changes to the Supreme Court Mean Changes to CERCLA's Joint and Several Liability Regime?” Latham & Watkins Article (May 2017)

Qualifications

Bar Qualification

New York

Education

JD, New York University School of Law, 2015
BA, University of North Carolina, 2011

Practices

Industries

Washington DC, USA - June 11, 2015: The William Jefferson Clinton Federal Building is home the Environmental Protection Agency (E.P.A.) and located in downtown Washington DC, USA.

February 16, 2024 Client Alert

EPA Proposes New RCRA Rules With Significant Compliance Obligations

The proposed rules would expand the RCRA Corrective Action regime to PFAS and potentially other emerging contaminants.

Looking up at the redwood trees at Muir Woods in San Francisco.

February 9, 2024 Publication

The Missing Component: Incorporating Biodiversity Into Natural Resource Remediation and Restoration

Latham litigator discusses the benefits of prioritizing biodiversity in remediation and natural resource damage assessment efforts, the current regulatory framework’s limitations, and possible solutions to allow for greater incorporation of biodiversity in an article published in the Natural Resources & Environment Fall 2023 quarterly magazine.

October 18, 2023 Our Work

Latham Advises West Star Aviation in Combination With Jet East

April 25, 2023 Publication

Updated Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Standards, Recently Incorporated by EPA, Highlight Transactional Risk Presented by PFAS and Other Emerging Contaminants

April 6, 2023 Client Alert