Profile

Charles has years of broad-based and expansive experience in managing and resolving environmental issues for his clients.

His rich knowledge of environmental laws and regulations provides a legal advantage to his clients. He has the know-how to establish long-term relationships and the resources to tackle problems and develop durable solutions to meet his client’s diverse legal needs. He routinely and successfully represents clients in:

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  • Successfully represented chemical manufacturing client in major CERCLA cost recovery suit, involving multiple trials and two appeals to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, resulting in the client shifting the majority of on-going cleanup costs to other responsible parties.
  • Drafted solid waste management law for municipal client and successfully defended a challenge to that law in New York State court.
  • Successfully negotiated resolution of EPA compliance order alleging violations of Federal Clean Water Act Pre-Treatment Standards on behalf of manufacturing client.
  • Successfully represented not-for-profit housing developer in cost recovery litigation related to cleanup of petroleum contamination.  Assisted client in negotiating cleanup of historical contamination associated with former gas station and recovered those costs, including attorneys fees, from responsible party
  • Represented large municipal client in successfully pursuing claims against bankrupt former steel manufacturers to fund cleanup of major brownfield site, which is now being put back to productive use as largest solar panel manufacturing plant in the United States

  • Listed in
    • Chambers USA 2024, Environmental – Upstate New York
    • The Best Lawyers in America®, 2023-2025,  Environmental Law; Land Use and Zoning Law; Municipal Law
    • New York Super Lawyers®, Environmental, 2024 (listed for more than 10 years)
    • Buffalo Business First, 2015 Legal Elite of WNY
  • New York State Bar Association, Environmental Committee; State and Local Government Committee
  • Erie County Bar Association, Environmental Committee, Past Chair; Municipal Committee 
  • Executive Editor, Buffalo Law Review, 1994-95
  • Recipient, Max Koren Award

  • Business "Summer Fun" Series - Breweries - An Interview with Chip Grieco and Jennifer Tsyn, Legally Bond Podcast, July 18, 2022
  • Negotiation and Termination of Distribution Contracts, New York State Brewers Conference, March 10, 2022
  • Issues Affecting Craft Alcohol Beverage Manufacturers, Bar Association of Erie County, March 3, 2017
  • Preservation Fundamentals, New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and the Town of Clarence Historic Preservation Commission, April 29-30, 2016

  • The City of Buffalo Environmental Management Commission, Commissioner
  • NYS Chemistry Council, Board of Directors and Government Affairs Committee Member
  • Western New York Book Arts Collaborative, Former Board Member, Active Member
  • Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper, Former Board Member, Member of Legal Committee
  • Preservation Buffalo Niagara, Board of Directors, Pro Bono Legal Work
  • Congress for the New Urbanism National Conference, Program Committee Chair, 2014 
  • Leadership Buffalo Graduate, 2005
  • City Honors Crew, Director