Mark E. Freeze

Of Counsel

• mfreeze@steptoe.com
• vCard
• Phoenix Office

Mark E. Freeze is of counsel in the Phoenix office of Steptoe & Johnson LLP.  His practice encompasses environmental, toxic tort and complex civil litigation, environmental enforcement defense, and environmental counseling.

Mr. Freeze has represented both public and private clients in complex environmental and toxic tort litigation.  He has negotiated favorable settlements for his clients with the United States EPA and with various state environmental agencies.  He has obtained dismissals for his clients in Superfund and toxic tort litigation.  Mr. Freeze has also successfully recovered millions of dollars in response costs for Superfund plaintiffs.  Additionally, he has defended numerous federal and state agency enforcement actions, and citizen suit enforcement actions, brought pursuant to the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.

Mr. Freeze has also represented insurance companies in environmental coverage litigation and on reinsurance claims.  He has advised clients on compliance with environmental laws, including spill reporting requirements. He has also advised clients on real estate transactions involving contaminated property, and he has drafted environmental regulations for governmental entities.

Noteworthy

• Instructor, seminars on U.S. Environmental Laws, Advanced U.S. Environmental Laws, Arizona Environmental Laws, South Carolina Environmental Laws, Government Institutes, sponsor, 1995-2004
• Visiting Instructor, ASU College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, 1995-1996 

Select News & Events

• Steptoe Announces Four New Partners and Six Additional Promotions; Re-elects Chair and Vice Chair of Firm’s Executive Committee
• Climate Change Changes Everything, February 8, 2008, What You Need to Know Regarding Emerging Regulatory & Litigation Issues Concerning Global Warming (A Steptoe-Sponsored Event)
• Steptoe Congratulates Burton Award Winners
• Current & Emerging Environmental Law Issues, December 7, 2006, (A Steptoe-Sponsored Event)
• Steptoe Increases Phoenix Litigation Presence

Selected Publications

• Environmental Newsflash, Issue 22
  September 30, 2009
• Contributing author, "Electronic Data Security and Data Security Breaches" chapter of ABA Intellectual Property Deskbook for the Business Lawyer: A Transactions-Based Guide to Intellectual Property Law, Second Edition, June, 2009.
• Environmental Newsflash, Issue 21
  May 6, 2009
• Environmental Newsflash, Issue 20
  April 20, 2009
• Environmental Newsflash, Issue 19
  April 1, 2009
• Environmental Newsflash, Issue 18
  EPA To Reconsider Whether Carbon Dioxide is Regulated Under Clean Air Act PSD Program
  February 23, 2009
• Environmental Newsflash, Issue 17
  House Stimulus Bill Contains Billions For Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency and Carbon Capture Technologies
  January 29, 2009
• Environmental Newsflash, Issue 16
  Major Developments Regarding Greenhouse Gas Regulation
  December 1, 2008

More Publications »

Professional Affiliations

• State Bar of Arizona, Member, Environmental and Natural Resources Law Section
• Maricopa County bar Association, Member, Environmental Law Section
• State Bar of South Carolina, Member, Environmental Law Section