Area of Emphasis
Matt Wood is senior counsel in Babst Calland’s Environmental Group. He assists clients on a variety of environmentally-related legal matters arising under major federal and state environmental and regulatory programs, with a focus on issues involving government inquiries, environmental investigations, remediation and concomitant activities under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), and their state analogs. In connection with this experience, he has advised clients during all stages of multi-year environmental remediation projects under consent decrees and administrative orders at sites across the U.S.
Mr. Wood counsels clients in the manufacturing, chemical, metals, and other sectors on permitting matters, compliance, enforcement actions, and government investigations and provides support on issue assessment, risk management, and strategy implementation to ensure effective client operations. His work often involves coordinating with technical consultants to prepare reports, position papers, and other deliverables for clients, agencies, and other relevant stakeholders. He also has experience with state and federal agency information requests and conducts environmental due diligence in transactional matters.
Background
Mr. Wood obtained a B.A. in Communications Studies from Brigham Young University in 2005. He is a 2011 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business, earning a J.D. and M.B.A., respectively. As a student, he was a finalist in Pitt Law’s Murray S. Love Mock Trial Competition and a member of one of two teams that represented Pitt Law at the prestigious Texas Young Lawyers Association National Trial Competition Regional Round held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Mr. Wood served as a Certified Legal Intern for Pitt Law’s Elder Law Clinic where he counseled low income clients on legal matters related to guardianships and other family law issues and also spent a summer as a Judicial Extern for the Honorable G. Murray Snow of the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona.
Prior to joining Babst Calland, Mr. Wood worked as an associate attorney for a law firm in Phoenix, Arizona. where he gained experience working on a variety of environmental matters at the county, state, federal, and tribal levels.
Memberships and Affiliations
Mr. Wood is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and Arizona, as well as before the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona.