Baker Wotring LLP

Baker Wotring LLP is a nationally-recognized commercial litigation and environmental boutique law firm providing innovative and results-oriented representation to domestic and international clients in significant and complex matters across the country for more than 17 years.  Prior to forming our boutique firm, which has allowed us to provide personalized, cost-effective and largely conflict-free representation to clients, our lawyers practiced at some of the largest law firms in the nation and have for decades represented many of the largest companies in the world.  Our lawyers have been retained in connection with some of the largest litigation and environmental matters in the country, including providing representation in connection with the Deepwater Horizon Gulf Oil Spill and other catastrophic accidents and large-scale commercial litigation for energy, transportation, oil and gas, healthcare and industrial clients, among others.  Since its inception, the Firm’s clients have included Fortune 500 companies, railroads, port authorities, hospitals, governmental entities and businesses of all sizes as well as individuals.  Our core group of founding lawyers has practiced law together for more than 25 years.  Baker Wotring is based in Houston but has litigated in cases across the country, including national dockets, and has achieved precedent-setting results and made new law, with results from our cases published, cited to and relied on by other courts and practitioners across the country.  The depth of actual courtroom experience, bench strength and proven trial record have made Baker Wotring LLP a repeat choice of sophisticated clients who need experienced, tried-and-true litigators and regulatory lawyers to handle their complex, high-stakes cases.  Our cases and regulatory matters have involved millions and sometimes billions of dollars at issue, including work on a recent multi-billion divestiture for one of the largest companies in the world.  Baker Wotring LLP is a nationally-certified women and minority owned firm, holding certifications from NAMWOLF (National Association of Minority and Women-Owned Law Firms), WBENC (Women’s Business Enterprise National Council), NMSDC (National Minority Supplier Development Council), MBE (Minority Business Enterprise) from the City of Houston, and is a certified State of Texas HUB (Historically Underutilized Business).

Our lawyers have been retained in connection with some of the largest litigation and environmental matters in the country, including providing representation to international companies like Firm client Norwegian  based-Kongsberg Gruppen with revenues of $26 billion dollars in connection with litigation arising out of the Deepwater Horizon Gulf Oil Spill and in connection with other emergency response projects, recovering $100 million for Firm client the Port of Houston Authority in a complex litigation matter arising out of contamination of waterways and representing Dell, Inc. as Texas counsel as part of the negotiating team handling the environmental issues and components of its $3 billion divestiture of Dell Services to Japanese company NTTD that was one of the largest transactions in 2016.  Selected examples of our private sector clients also include Valero Energy Corporation (a Fortune 500 international company), Vopak (one of the world’s largest liquid and bulk tank storage companies), and Kelsey-Seybold (one of the largest physicians groups in the State of Texas), among others.  Our Firm has become known for its robust unique combination of environmental and litigation strength and has been nationally recognized by the U.S. News & World Report and Chambers USA, which describes the Firm’s lawyers as “phenomenal litigators” and identifies name partner Debra Baker as “one of the most capable environmental lawyers in the country.”  The Firm has also been included in the American Lawyer’s list of “Go-To Top 500 Firms” based upon being named by top Fortune 500 General Counsel.

The Firm has a robust litigation practice that includes representation in a wide range of complex commercial cases, multi-district litigation and mass torts, premises liability, healthcare, medical and pharmaceutical litigation, industrial accidents, catastrophic releases and emergency response, and oil and gas/pipeline matters.  The Firm’s environmental law practice encompasses a wide spectrum of environmental law, including litigation, contribution and cost recovery, regulatory practice, transactional and risk management, natural resources  and contaminated sediments, and a wide variety of Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, CERCLA and RCRA cases.  In particular, the Firm’s lawyers have worked on some of the largest brownfields cases in the country, have divested large-scale environmental liabilities of numerous types and have worked to address the resolution and remediation of long-term, historical liabilities to free up corporate reserves.  Please see our Firm Overview and Individual resumes attached to this profile.  For more information, please also visit our website at www.bakerwotring.com.