Bio

Stephen Berlin has significant experience in several areas of environmental law, including environmental litigation, business transactions involving environmental issues and environmental compliance matters. Since joining the firm, he has worked in most areas of environmental litigation, both in federal and state courts with an emphasis on private environmental costs recovery actions and representations of potentially responsible parties at Superfund sites and RCRA issues. Mr. Berlin has handled matters both at the trial and appellate levels in both federal and state courts. He has handled numerous matters involving plaintiff's claims of injury caused by contamination. Mr. Berlin has been lead counsel for some of the largest Brownfields projects in the Southeast U.S. In recent years, he has litigated toxic tort, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), and Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) cases in all the district courts of North and South Carolina and successfully argued a case involving the interpretation of CERCLA to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. During the course of this career, he has acted as lead environmental counsel for several multi-million dollar business transactions involving manufacturing concerns throughout the United States. Mr. Berlin was recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® for Environmental Law in 2023 and the 14 years immediately preceding. He was also named a 2016, 2018 and 2019 "Greensboro Lawyer of the Year" in the area of Environmental Law and a 2020 and 2023 "Triad Lawyer of the Year" for Environmental Law by The Best Lawyers in America®. Mr. Berlin has also been recognized in the 2023 and the 14 years immediately preceding editions of Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business and named to Business North Carolina’s "Legal Elite" list in 2010 and also in 2017 and the five years immediately preceding and in 2018 and 2023, he was selected to Business North Carolina's "Legal Elite Hall of Fame" in the area of Environmental Law. In 2021, 2022 and 2023, Mr. Berlin was named to Business North Carolina’s "Power List". He was recognized among the Triad's "Most Influential" professional executives by the Triad Business Journal in 2020 for the eleventh consecutive year. In 2020, Mr. Berlin was also named a “Triad Power Player” by the Triad Business Journal for the eleventh consecutive year. He has been recognized as a North Carolina "Super Lawyer" by Super Lawyers magazine for Environmental Litigation and Land Use/Zoning in 2010 and for Environmental Law in 2010, and again in 2023 and the 11 years immediately preceding, and recognized in The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers for 2010 and 2011. Mr. Berlin was named one of North Carolina Lawyers Weekly’s “Leaders in Law” in 2015. He is AV® rated by Martindale-Hubbell.*