Mary concentrates her practice in environmental, health and safety-related matters, providing both upfront compliance counseling and responsive advocacy in the event of an incident. She has extensive experience in crisis management matters involving spills, toxic releases and other workplace incidents. She counsels clients in connection with major industrial accidents, crisis response, process safety incidents and workplace fatalities. In addition, she works extensively with technical experts and auditors to provide compliance advice regarding existing or developing safety programs at complex facilities.
Experience
Representative matters
Representative matters
Represented facility owner in litigation against equipment manufacturer for property damage and delay claims associated with compressor explosion.
Successfully recovered damages for a chemical producer and supplier, including damage to property and loss of access to chemical storage, associated with a facility fire and shutdown.
Counseled multiple companies, including major oil and gas and utility companies regarding safety compliance on a fixed-fee, partial-secondment basis.
Represented facility owner in litigation against equipment manufacturer for property damage and delay claims associated with compressor explosion.
Successfully recovered damages for a chemical producer and supplier, including damage to property and loss of access to chemical storage, associated with a facility fire and shutdown.
Counseled multiple companies, including major oil and gas and utility companies regarding safety compliance on a fixed-fee, partial-secondment basis.
Represented client in response to TCEQ Notice of Enforcement (NOE) and subsequent audit and disclosures under the Texas Environmental, Health, and Safety Privilege Act (Audit Act) related to an onsite public water system (PWS).
Advised multiple clients regarding spill reporting and remediation obligations to the TCEQ, including under the Texas Risk Reduction Program (TRRP).
Represented client in remediation dispute at facility entered into the TCEQ Voluntary Cleanup Program (VCP).
Reviewed and prepared several Spill Control and Countermeasures Plans (SPCCs) and Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (TPDES) submittals.
Represented a Fortune 100 chemical manufacturer following multiple fatality incidents, including before the CSB, EPA, OSHA, and other state and local agencies.
Represented a national utility company in connection with the implementation of a process safety management (PSM) program and environmental compliance and auditing systems.
Represented numerous chemical manufacturers and refiners in civil enforcement actions by federal and state environmental and occupational, safety and health agencies, including during settlement negotiations and litigation.
Represented energy companies and manufacturers in agency investigations following major incidents.
Represented an international petrochemical company, providing general environmental, health and safety advice on secondment.
Represented energy companies in connection with environmental criminal investigations.
Represented multiple companies in whistleblower investigations and litigation.
Represented major equipment manufacturer against claim that product defect caused project delay and other damages.
Successfully defended refining client against multiple safety violation and failure to abate citations in administrative hearing.
Credentials
Education
Education
- University of Houston Law Center, J.D.
- Rice University, M.S.
- Rice University, B.A.
Professional admissions & qualifications
Professional admissions & qualifications
- Texas
Professional affiliations
Professional affiliations
- American Bar Association
- Houston Bar Association
- Association of Women Attorneys Foundation, Trustee
- Galveston Bay Foundation, Circle of Friends
News
Insights
Blogs
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