Our Skills

We practice primarily in federal court, but also bring cases in California state courts. We have extensive experience in all aspects of complex civil environmental litigation.

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• Case investigation

• Discovery and resolution of discovery disputes

• Development of expert testimony

• Dispositive motion practice

• Trial practice

• Appellate advocacy.

Environmental Advocates is directed by Senior Counsel Christopher Sproul. Mr. Sproul served as an Assistant Regional Counsel for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from 1987 until 2002. At EPA, Mr. Sproul’s primary concentration was representing EPA in enforcement actions, particularly under the Clean Water Act, but also under the Safe Drinking Water Act, Clean Air Act, and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.

Mr. Sproul's accomplishments at EPA include several judicial and administrative settlements and judgments resulting in extensive injunctive relief and civil penalty awards. While at EPA, Mr. Sproul also worked on several permitting matters, including litigation challenges to EPA permit decisions; assisted in EPA reviews of state environmental programs, participated in work groups tasked with drafting EPA regulations and proposed amendments to the Clean Water Act, and provided client counseling to numerous EPA regulatory officials. From 1997 to 1998, he also served on special assignment from EPA to the State of Hawaii Attorney General where he represented the state of Hawaii on numerous water pollution enforcement actions and other environmental matters.

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Mr. Sproul was chosen, along with his co-counsel, by Public Justice as a 2019 Trial Lawyer of the Year Finalist for his advocacy work on a landmark Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision establishing important precedent under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Ecological Rights Found. v. Pac. Gas & Elec. Co., 874 F.3d 1083 (9th Cir. 2017). See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HW4sq6xOhZU

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Mr. Sproul also served as a law clerk to U.S. District Court Judge William J. Rea, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. From 2006 to 2010, Mr. Sproul was an Adjunct Professor at Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco where he taught a course on environmental litigation. Mr. Sproul holds a J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley and an M.A. and B.A. in political science from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

We strive to bring “impact litigation,” i.e., cases that will significantly advance environmental protection and the development of case precedent that will positively affect environmental law generally. To this end, Environmental Advocates has argued numerous cases that have resulted in published decisions that have been frequently cited by other courts, including multiple decisions issued by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals:

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• Ecological Rights Found. v. Pac. Gas & Elec. Co., 874 F.3d 1083 (9th Cir. 2017). Reversing District Court dismissal of plaintiff’s claims in Resource Conservation and Recovery Act citizen suit, subsequently cited by 21 reported court decisions.

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• Friends of the River v. Nat'l Marine Fisheries Serv., 786 F. App'x 666 (9th Cir. 2019). Reversing District Court judgment in favor of defendant National Marine Fisheries Service and directing District Court to enter judgment in favor of Friends of the River on Endangered Species Act claim that a NMFS biological opinion was arbitrary and capricious in failing to explain switch in position from previous, more environmentally protective biological opinion.

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• Inland Empire Waterkeeper v. Corona Clay Co., 13 F.4th 917 (9th Cir. 2021). Ruling in Clean Water Act citizen suit reversing district court jury verdict in favor of defendant, finding that citizen suit enforcement for violations of procedural conditions in NPDES permit may proceed without proof of discharge violations, subsequently cited by 2 reported court decisions.

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• S. Yuba River Citizens League v. Nat'l Marine Fisheries Serv., 581 F. Appx 693 (9th Cir. 2014). Granting plaintiffs’ motion for attorneys fees and costs in Endangered Species Act citizen suit, subsequently cited by four reported court decisions.

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• Wishtoyo Found. v. United Water Conservation Dist., 795 F. App'x 541 (9th Cir. 2020) Affirming District Court injunction and attorney fee and cost award in Endangered Species Act citizen suit, subsequently cited by two reported court decisions.

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• Wishtoyo Found. v. United Water Conservation Dist., 2020 U.S. App. LEXIS 10773 (9th Cir. 2020). Establishing Wishtoyo Foundation’s entitlement to attorneys fees and costs for prevailing on appeal in Endangered Species Act case.