Pete is a partner in Archer’s Environmental Law Practice Group and concentrates his practice on environmental counseling, regulatory compliance and environmental litigation in state and federal courts throughout the country. Pete counsels clients on a variety of federal environmental laws and their state counterparts, including the Clean Air and Water Acts, and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Pete also litigates environmental matters and assists clients identified as potentially responsible parties at former industrial sites throughout the United States. Pete’s litigation practice covers a wide range of matters, including citizen suits, toxic tort actions, natural resource damage claims, third-party actions and enforcement proceedings. His work on these matters regularly involves litigating corporate successor liability issues, contractual indemnification claims and the equitable allocation of cleanup costs.
Pete also dedicates time to pro bono matters, including assisting in family law matters.
Representative Experience
- Represented a redevelopment agency in condemnation proceedings successfully defeating a motion to increase the amount paid for the property in the trial court and on appeal.
- Represented former manufacturing companies in Superfund litigation and administrative matters.
- Involved in complex arbitration prosecuting a multi-million dollar breach of contract claim.
- Represented manufacturers of asbestos containing products in toxic tort and products liability cases.
- Deposed numerous homeowner plaintiffs in mass toxic tort litigation involving alleged exposure to hazardous substances on behalf of a petroleum company.
- Represented a large former manufacturer in a “bellwether” trial for a mass toxic tort action concerning alleged toxic exposure to lead.
- Involved with defending claims brought by state natural resource trustee alleging MTBE contamination of groundwater.
- Represented companies in complex multi-million dollar environmental insurance litigation.
- Counseled clients in the petroleum industry on matters involving the Petroleum Marketing Practices Act.
Professional and Community Involvement
- Pennsylvania Bar Association-Environment and Energy Law Section
- New Jersey State Bar Association
- Camden County Bar Association
- Burlington County Bar Association
- Medford Economic Development Advisory Committee
Select Articles
- “Clean Water Act Liability for Groundwater Contamination,” Environmental Protection (November 2018)
- “Practitioner Insights: Impact of Settlements on CERCLA Actions,” Bloomberg BNA (September 2017)
- “The State is Not Liable for Pre-Spill Act Conduct,” New Jersey Law Journal (April 2017)
- “Better Safe Than Sorry: CERCLA Contribution Actions and the Operative Statute of Limitations,” New Jersey Lawyer Magazine (October 2016)
Past Speaking Engagements and Seminars
- “CERCLA Contribution Claims: Guidance and Litigation Strategies for Environmental Lawyers,” New Jersey Institute Continuing Legal Education Webinar, (January 2018)