Lori A. Mills

Partner

  • Lori A. Mills
  • Phone: +1 856 874 4245

    Import to Address Book

  • Duane Morris LLP
    40 Lake Center Drive
    401 Route 73 North, Suite 200
    Marlton, NJ 08053
    USA

Lori A. Mills is a Chambers-ranked environmental lawyer and a strategic advisor to clients managing business risks arising out of a wide range of environmental obligations.  With a strong foundation in complex multiparty environmental litigation Ms. Mills has extensive experience in environmental compliance and enforcement actions; soil, groundwater and sediment contamination matters; industrial site remediation; Superfund compliance and cost recovery; private party cost recovery contribution and allocation proceedings; land purchase and brownfields development; and natural resource damages.  She also advises clients with respect to the environmental implications of real estate and corporate transactions.

Ms. Mills’ client base is generally comprised of fortune 100 companies hailing from industrial sectors including oil and gas, chemicals manufacturing, consumer products, pharmaceuticals and utility companies.  With a focus on matters coordinating remediation of contaminated properties with active operations or property re-use initiatives, matters handled by Ms. Mills require the management of overlapping and often competing interests to advance and/or maintain site remediation in the context of site redevelopment, eminent domain, multi-party liability and the regulation of new and emerging contaminants including 1,4 dioxane, 1,2,3 Trichloropropane and per- and polyfluoralkyl substance (also known as PFAS).

The cases in which Ms. Mills is involved are often high-stakes involving amounts in controversy of many millions (and sometimes billions) of dollars and the divergent interests of multiple stakeholders in high profile matters.  She participates actively with clients in strategic planning to help manage these high-profile environmental cases. 

Since 2011, Ms. Mills has been ranked in the area of Environmental in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business.  As a trusted advisor clients and peers value Ms. Mills’ “insight,” “diligence” and strength as a problem solver: 

"Lori is the ultimate problem solver, with a very broad understanding of environmental law. She is a diamond."

"She understands what needs to be accomplished and focuses on the finish line and how to get us there."

Ms. Mills is a 1988 graduate, with honors, of Rutgers University School of Law and a 1985 magna cum laude graduate of Temple University.

Areas of Practice

  • Environmental Litigation
  • Environmental Transactions
  • Brownfields Development
  • Environmental Regulatory and Compliance
  • Energy Law

Representative Matters

  • Representing PRP Groups at three inter-related Superfund Sites arising out of the waste hauling activities of the Lightman Drum Company; work at the three sites variously includes efforts with USEPA to secure de-listing from Superfund status at one of the sites, implementation of a strategy to change the remedy at another of the sites to Monitored Natural Attenuation at a significant cost savings to the group; and integration of remediation and redevelopment initiatives at the third site.

  • Representing a chemical manufacturer subsidiary of a global, publicly traded petroleum company in legacy environmental liability issues at numerous sites in New Jersey, including negotiating and implementing a two-site remedy at adjoining sites which are subject to separate federal and state clean-up orders; coordinating remediation on a site with a redevelopment project given a designation of “vital importance;” coordinating multi-site remediation obligations with construction of a major infrastructure project of national importance at those same sites; protecting property and remediation interests in the context of eminent domain proceedings; preparing and negotiating access, remediation, indemnity, release and reimbursement agreements regarding dozens of contaminated sites in New Jersey; advising on matters relating to the implementation of the remedial design for a USEPA selected remedy involving multiple miles of a major river in New Jersey.

  • Representing a PRP Group at a delisted Superfund site and fully remediated site to address the implications of emerging contaminants of concern, particularly PFAS chemicals, as related to ongoing site remediation obligations.

  • Representing a chemical manufacturer subsidiary of a global, publicly traded petroleum company participating in a PRP Group to develop lines of evidence to convince regulatory agencies that sampling for emerging contaminants of concern, particularly PFAS chemicals, is not appropriate in the specific site setting.

  • Representing an oil company in addressing legacy environmental liability at 26 Sites located in Hudson and Essex Counties in New Jersey that are alleged to be contaminated by operations at a former company plant; sites include a commercial truck stop, an active chlorine plant and a power generation site, and issues include remediation and eminent domain.

Admissions

  • New Jersey
  • Pennsylvania

Education

  • Rutgers Law School, J.D., with honors, 1988
  • Temple University, B.A., magna cum laude, 1985

Experience

  • Duane Morris LLP
    - Partner, 2017-present
  • Drinker Biddle & Reath
    - Partner, 1995-2017
  • Cohen, Shapiro, Polisher, Sheikman & Cohen
    - Associate, 1989-1995
  • State of New Jersey, Superior Court
    - Law Clerk, 1988-1989

Professional Activities

  • New Jersey Bar Association
  • Princeton Bar Association
  • American Bar Association
  • Chemical Council of New Jersey

Honors and Awards

  • Listed in Best Lawyers in America, 2021-2024

  • Listed in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, 2011-2024

No aspect of these rankings has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey. Further information on methodologies is available via these links.

No aspect of these rankings has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey. Further information on methodologies is available via these links.

Selected Publications