For the past twenty-five years, William (Wink) Pearson’s principal practice has focused on environmental and natural resource enforcement defense and regulatory compliance counseling.  He has experience representing clients in a wide variety of environmental litigation matters in federal, state and local courts involving claims under CERCLA, RCRA, CWA, CAA, EPCRA, TSCA, NEPA, ESA, and OSHA.  Mr. Pearson has handled a range of toxic torts claims for personal injury, property diminution and medical monitoring based on exposures to, for example, VOCs, lead, arsenic, cobalt, and asbestos (mesothelioma).  He routinely handles multi-party high-stakes superfund litigation for major corporations in multiple states and EPA regions.

He also assists clients with permitting, compliance and regulatory matters under local, state and federal land use and environmental statues.  Mr. Pearson advises clients on the environmental aspects of corporate and real estate transactions, mergers and acquisitions, condemnations, bankruptcy, regulatory investigations, internal audits and environmental management systems.  He represents clients at administrative hearings and in ADR proceedings.

With a strong technical background, he’s handled diverse litigation experts such as forensic geochemists, hydro-geologists, epidemiologists, engineers, economists, physicians, as well as a variety of others technical professionals.  In the last ten years Mr. Pearson has developed a sophisticated knowledge related to hard rock mining including historical and current operations, remediation, permitting, reclamation and water issues.

Mr. Pearson also has broad commercial litigation experience having spent 15 years focused on commercial litigation, handling disputes arising out of contract, employment relationships, insurance coverage, land development, corporate governance and dissolution, and professional malpractice (lawyer, medical and accountant), to name a few areas.  Additionally, he served as a specially appointed Assistant Attorney General for the State of Vermont to handle two high profile matters, and served as Staff Counsel, Civil Rights Commission, State of Indiana.  Early in his career, Mr. Pearson handled an array of criminal cases, including an acquittal for a high-profile perjury defendant.  He has first chaired more than 30 jury trials to verdict and secured favorable results for his client at trial and on appeals in state and federal court.

Professional Affiliations

• State Bar of Arizona – Environmental and Natural Resources Law Section (Executive Council, 1991-1997; Chair, 1995-1996)

• State Bar of Arizona – Trial Practice Section

• Maricopa County Bar Association – Environmental Law Section

• American Bar Association – Section of Natural Resources and Environmental Law, Section of Litigation

Civic Involvement and Honors

• University of Arizona – Adjunct Professor, Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science, 1993-1997