Jim O’Brien, Chairman of the Environmental Practice Group, has concentrated his practice in the areas of environmental and insurance law and litigation since 1977. He has extensive experience in trial and appellate courts and administrative proceedings on all aspects of environmental law, from the defense of toxic tort and Superfund cases, to the appeal of contested wetlands permits. He has counseled commercial and industrial clients on the environmental aspects of the purchase and sale of real estate, on numerous compliance issues, and on air, water and hazardous waste permits. Through his work on the Environmental Auditing Roundtable and as an adjunct professor in the Chemical Engineering Department at Wayne State University, he has been extensively involved in the legal and practical aspects of environmental audits and assessments. He has contributed as a regional editor to several ABA publications on environmental and insurance law. Jim has broad litigation experience, in addition to his focus on environmental matters, and has tried business, contract, real estate, insurance coverage and personal injury cases in the state and federal courts. His experience as a mediator, arbitrator, and Oakland County Case Evaluation panel member, and his completion of the 40-hour Supreme Court - approved Alternate Dispute Resolution course of training make him well qualified to resolve disputes in the most practical cost-effective manner, whether that involves trial, or a negotiated resolution.