KEVIN C. MURPHY
The Wladis Law Firm, P.C.
Syracuse, New York
abg67s@r.postjobfree.com
Qualifications Summary
Accomplished former senior trial attorney with the United States Department of Justice with extensive
private practice experience and expertise in all manner of federal, state and local administrative, civil and
criminal environmental litigation, permitting and compliance matters. Supervised and managed
environmental litigation for 20+ attorney multi state practice group. Also experienced litigating a diverse
range of related matters including: property ownership and use rights, property tax and condemnation
matters, insurance coverage issues, government regulatory matters (OHSA, MHSA, DOT, DOL),
Constitutional claims, and all manner of business and commercial disputes. Proven ability to manage others
and negotiate or litigate large, complex, high profile matters. Excellent writing skills. Licensed to practice in
New York and Connecticut.
Representative Environmental Matters
Serve as special environmental counsel to Onondaga County, New York with respect to the regulation of
federal and state permitted wastewater discharges; multiple federal, state and third party cost recovery and
natural resource damage claims related to mercury contaminated sediments and discharges to Onondaga
Lake, a federal Superfund site; the prosecution of environmental claims in the General Motors Corporation
and Crucible Materials Corporation bankruptcies; the siting and construction of federally mandated sewer
system upgrades, including the acquisition via eminent domain of third party municipal properties
committed to a prior public use and compliance with requirements of the New York State Environmental
Quality Review Act.
Pre acquisition environmental due diligence of a multi facility, multi state manufacturing concern with
respect to both recognized environmental conditions and operational compliance with all applicable federal,
state and local regulatory requirements.
Coordination of an internal environmental audit for multi facility, multi state mining, manufacturing and
transportation concern.
Supervised internal allegations of improper waste management and/or disposal practices and implemented
corrective measures.
Defense of state emissions related enforcement actions and the negotiation of terms and conditions of air
emission permits in New York and Connecticut.
Served as counsel for the redevelopment of a former 100 plus acre brass mill facility into a regional
shopping mall. Successfully managed or resolved issues concerning the management of a hazardous waste
landfill, PCB compliance and enforcement matters, solvent contaminated soil and groundwater, asbestos
abatement, project permitting and the removal of a dam situated on the Mad River in Waterbury,
Connecticut.
For the owner of a site with the highest reported levels of PCB contamination in New York State, negotiated
and managed a multi million dollar solid waste cleanup; negotiated assignable town and village property tax
agreements resulting in a multi million dollar reduction in past and future taxes; successfully negotiated a
resolution or dismissal of multiple federal and state legal actions involving the State of New York, local
municipalities, environmental groups and the owner’s partners and former counsel; negotiated transfer of
the property to the prior owner and party responsible for the PCB contamination thereby terminating the
owner’s potential liability for the estimated $100 million plus contaminated sediment cleanup.
Negotiated the receipt of a CTDEP approved cleanup at a former steel fabrication plant located on the
Bridgeport, CT harbor; secured a no further action decision regarding a substantial subsurface petroleum
release resulting in a $7 million cost savings and secured significant reductions in state proposed magnitude
and scope of heavy metal contamination clean up.
Successfully represented site owner in cost recovery and malpractice actions against, respectively,
the former site owner, Bristol Chromium Corporation, and former counsel related to the cost of
complying with federal and state RCRA landfill closure and post closure requirements due to
nickel contamination of site soil and groundwater resulting from prior site operations.
Negotiated site investigation and corrective action order with CTDEP and settled adjacent property
owner’s toxic tort action related to chromium contaminated soils, groundwater and surface waters.
Selected representations of Superfund potentially responsible parties, individually or on site steering
committees:
Onondaga Lake Superfund Site, Syracuse, NY
Pfohl Brothers Landfill Superfund Site, Cheektowaga, NY
Ramapo Landfill, NY Inactive Waste Site, Ramapo, NY
Troy, Water Street, MGP Site, Troy, NY
Beacon Heights Landfill Superfund Site, Beacon Heights, CT
Laurel Park, Inc. Landfill Superfund Site, Naugatuck, CT
SRSNE and OSL Superfund Sites, Southington, CT
Kellog Deering Well Field Superfund Site, Norwalk, CT
Stringfellow Superfund Site, Glen Avon, CA
Prosecuted criminal violations of the CAA, CWA, RCRA, TSCA, FIFRA and Title 18 crimes as a Senior
Trial Attorney for the United States Department of Justice, Environmental Crimes Section, Washington,
D.C.
Secured post indictment dismissal of multi count felony indictment of publicly owned treatment works
operator.
Resolution of 36 count felony indictment for alleged illegal disposal of hazardous waste with
dismissal of all charges against individual defendant and plea to a single non felony, non
misdemeanor violation by corporate defendant.
Prepared multi state, multi media compliance manuals and conducted training on federal government
contractor obligations sufficient to prevent client placement on the federal contractor debarment list due to
individual employee violations of the Clean Air Act.
Representative Non Environmental Matters
Served as counsel for Communities Against Regional Interconnect, a coalition of New York State county
governments, individuals and environmental groups, in their successful challenge to FERC’s “overly
expansive” rule making with respect to the scope of FERC’s backstop permitting authority in national
interest electric transmission corridors under Federal Power Act § 216. Piedmont Environmental Council v
FERC, 558 F.3d 304 (4th Cir. 2009).
Secured injunction striking unconstitutional town ordinance restricting outdoor advertising in violation of
the First Amendment. Park Outdoor Advertising of New York, Inc. v. Town of Onondaga, New York, ___
F.Supp.2d ___ (N.D.N.Y. 2010)
Successfully appealed real and personal property taxes on behalf of NRG Energy, Inc. power generating
facilities in Devon and Middletown, CT
Successfully prosecuted breach of contract claim utilizing the Virginia Uniform Computer Information
Transactions Act under the choice of law provisions in the contract.
Representative Clients
Clients have included independent power producers; manufacturers; mining, industrial and waste
management firms; construction companies; local governments and authorities; healthcare facilities;
schools; real estate developers and individuals. Representative clients: Alper Holdings USA, Inc.; Avery
Dennison Corporation; Communities Against Regional Interconnect; Hoosier Magnetics, Inc.; New
Waterbury, Ltd.; Northrop Grumman Corporation; NRG Energy, Inc.; Peckham Materials, Inc.; United
States Steel Corporation; Onondaga County, NY, and Rockland County (NY) Sewer District No. 1.
Legal Experience
The Wladis Law Firm, P.C., Syracuse, NY current
Gilberti Stinziano Heintz & Smith, P.C. Syracuse, NY 1994 2008
Pullman & Comley, Bridgeport, CT 1990 1994
Carmody & Torrance, Waterbury, CT 1988 1990
Senior Trial Attorney, U.S. Department of Justice,
Environmental Crimes Section, Washington, DC 1985 1988
Assistant District Attorney, Kings County, NY 1979 1984
Education
University of Virginia School of Law
Syracuse University, Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, in economics
Teaching/Awards/Publications
Adjunct Faculty, Syracuse University School of Law. Environmental Criminal Enforcement Seminar (1995
2000).
Instructor, Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, Glynco, GA (1986 88).
Recipient, United States Department of Justice Special Achievement Award, March 1987 and March 1988.
Murphy and Yen, “Trustee Liability for the Cost of Site Environmental Clean Up” 110 Banking L.J. 467
(1993).
Murphy and Yen, “Court Limits the Potential of Trustee Liability for the Cost of Site Environmental
Cleanup” 111 Banking L.J. 89 (1994).