Nijman Franzetti LLP

History, ownership and focus

Jennifer Nijman and Susan Franzetti formed Nijman Franzetti LLP in early 2008. The firm is based in Chicago and identifies itself as women-owned. Its stated work centers on environmental law.

The firm represents companies in disputes, regulatory matters and business transactions with environmental components. Its website also describes counseling on routine environmental concerns. This mix covers problems that demand an immediate response and matters that require ongoing attention.

In my opinion, the firm's identity is clear because its published services remain tied to environmental issues. The website names litigation, enforcement defense, compliance, permitting and remediation. It also connects environmental law with contracts and transactional due diligence.

Environmental litigation and agency action

The firm handles environmental litigation and governmental enforcement actions. These matters can involve alleged contamination, permit violations, releases or other disputes over regulatory duties. The site also lists enforcement defense as a distinct part of the practice.

How enforcement matters generally proceed

An environmental enforcement matter may begin with an inspection, records request, notice of violation or agency order. Counsel generally reviews the governing rule, permit terms, monitoring data and communications with regulators. The response may address the alleged violation, corrective work and the legal basis for any proposed penalty.

Some matters move through negotiations with an agency. Others require administrative hearings or court proceedings. The record often includes sampling results, operating records, permits, reports and technical analysis.

Disputed environmental claims

Environmental lawsuits may turn on the condition of a property, the source of a release or responsibility for cleanup costs. Parties may dispute causation, the timing of contamination and the allocation of liability. Technical witnesses and historical records often play a major role.

The firm's published scope includes both environmental litigation and contamination claims. That pairing covers private disputes as well as claims connected with regulatory action. The website does not tie those services to particular results or monetary recoveries.

Compliance, permits and administrative proceedings

The site links regulatory counseling with permitting, rulemaking and requests for administrative relief. These services concern the rules that govern facilities and business operations. They can also shape how a company plans a project or responds to a change in environmental requirements.

Regulatory compliance and permitting

Compliance work generally begins by identifying the rules and permits that apply to an operation. Counsel may review reporting duties, monitoring requirements, operating limits and recordkeeping systems. A permitting matter may require an application, technical support and responses to agency questions.

Permit conditions can affect construction, production and waste handling. They may also set testing schedules or discharge limits. The firm's website identifies both regulatory compliance and permitting as areas of work.

Rulemaking and administrative relief

Rulemaking work concerns the development or revision of agency regulations. Businesses may submit comments, technical materials and legal arguments for an agency record. Administrative relief can involve a petition or another formal request under the relevant regulatory program.

These proceedings often depend on written submissions and agency procedures. Counsel must connect operational facts with the legal standard that governs the request. The firm lists rulemaking and administrative relief among its environmental services.

Properties, transactions and remediation

Contaminated properties and remediation appear among the firm's named practice areas. Such matters may involve site investigations, cleanup planning, agency oversight and disputes about responsibility. The work can concern current operations or conditions linked to earlier uses of the land.

Remediation generally starts with information about the nature and extent of contamination. The parties may evaluate soil, groundwater or other environmental media. Agencies can require investigation reports, corrective measures and proof that approved work has been completed.

Due diligence and contractual risk

The firm includes audits, transactions and contractual work in its service list. Environmental due diligence may examine permits, compliance records, site history, storage systems and known releases. The findings can affect deal terms and plans for work after closing.

Contracts may assign responsibility for investigation, cleanup, reporting or future claims. Buyers, sellers, lenders and property owners may each have different concerns. Clear terms can identify who controls the response and who bears defined costs.

Air, water, spills and releases

Air quality and climate change are named subjects on the practice page. Air matters generally involve emission limits, construction approvals, operating permits, monitoring and reports. The applicable duties depend on the facility, source and regulatory program.

The firm also lists water quality and discharges. Water matters may concern discharge permits, sampling, reporting and compliance with permit limits. Records about the source and contents of a discharge can shape the legal analysis.

Spills and releases form another stated practice category. A release may trigger reporting, containment, investigation and cleanup duties. Early records can establish what occurred, when the company learned of it and how the response proceeded.

Toxic tort and contamination claims

The about page identifies claims involving alleged toxic exposure and contamination. These cases often require proof about the substance, exposure pathway, timing and claimed injury. Medical material, site records and scientific analysis may all enter the case.

Toxic tort litigation can involve several questions of causation. The parties may examine where exposure occurred, how much exposure took place and whether the substance can cause the alleged condition. Courts may also consider the reliability of technical methods and testimony.

Contamination claims can overlap with property disputes and cleanup obligations. A claimant may seek damages, corrective action or another legal remedy permitted by the governing law. Regulatory findings can affect the record, though a civil claim follows its own elements and procedures.

Team and client profile

The home page identifies 12 members of the firm's team. The named attorneys are Jennifer T. Nijman, Susan M. Franzetti, E. Lynn Grayson and Susan E. Brice. It also names Jacqueline M. Vidmar, Kristen Laughridge Gale, Vince Angermeier and Genevieve J. Essig.

Drew Nishioka, Craig Thedwall, Anne Wahlig and Kelly L. Emerson complete the published list. The presence of 12 named attorneys gives clients a direct view of the people associated with the firm. Jennifer Nijman and Susan Franzetti remain central to the firm's published history as its founders.

The website states that the firm's clients include several Fortune 100 companies. It identifies the energy, waste management and chemical sectors as examples of industries the firm has represented. Companies in these fields often manage permits, regulated materials, releases and property concerns as part of ordinary operations.

The stated services cover contested cases, agency proceedings and preventive counseling. In my opinion, that combination gives potential clients a useful picture of the matters the firm handles. The firm also lists contracts and day-to-day environmental concerns among its work.