Brian IsraelBrian D. Israel is a Partner in Arnold & Porter's Los Angeles and Washington, DC, offices. He is Chair of the firm's Environmental Practice Group, as well as co-lead of the firm's Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) working group. Mr Israel's practice focuses broadly on environmental litigation and counseling--including climate-related issues--and he is one of the nation's leading lawyers for Natural Resource Damages claims. Mr. Israel represents multiple Fortune 500 companies in some of the largest and most complex environmental matters across the country. Mr. Israel has been regularly recognized for his thought leadership and environmental expertise by multiple organizations, including Chambers USA (2013-2023), Legal 500, Best Lawyers, Who's Who Legal, Lawdragon, and the National Law Journal (awarded the Energy & Environmental Trailblazer award in 2017).
Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Israel was an Honors Trial Attorney in the Environmental Enforcement Section of the U.S. Department of Justice, where he earned the Distinguished Service Award. Mr. Israel received his BA in Environmental Philosophy from New College, University of South Florida, in 1991, and received his JD from New York University (NYU) in 1995, where he graduated cum laude. Mr. Israel has also received a certificate in Sustainable Capitalism and ESG from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law. Mr. Israel has spoken and written extensively about environmental law, regulatory reform, energy transition, and ESG issues. He is a principal author of Natural Resource Damages: A Guide to Litigating and Resolving NRD Cases (ABA, 2019). Mr. Israel's student note "An Environmental Justice Critique of Risk Assessment" is published in the NYU Environmental Law Journal. Read More Read Less