Greensfelder Chicago Office Expands Environmental Practice

CHICAGO – Dec. 10, 2015 – The law firm Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale, P.C. is pleased to announce that its Chicago office has expanded its environmental law practice with the addition of attorney William J. Anaya as an Officer in the Litigation Practice Group.

Mr. Anaya focuses his practice in environmental law, involving compliance counseling, permit negotiations enforcement, litigation and transactions. He represents a broad range of business clients in diverse matters before state and federal regulatory agencies and forums, and state and federal courts in Illinois and Indiana.

“We are extremely pleased to welcome Bill to our firm in Chicago,” said David B. Goodman, Managing Officer of Greensfelder’s Chicago office. “Bill’s deep knowledge and experience in environmental law will complement Greensfelder’s existing services in this practice area for clients in Chicago and nationwide, as well as enhance our ability to support our Chicago clients’ business operations across the full range of their legal needs.”

Mr. Anaya said, “For years, I have been impressed with Greensfelder’s focus on business interests in litigation and transactions, and I am very pleased to join that team. For the past 34 years, I have helped clients succeed in large part because I recognize that statutory environmental cleanup liability, regulatory compliance and damages are business costs. I think of environmental law as business law, and this is one of the key reasons that my practice fits well with the professionals who make up Greensfelder’s team of attorneys.”

In addition to practicing law, Mr. Anaya has written extensively for the legal industry and other business publications, and is a frequent speaker on topics and issues concerning environmental, healthcare, corporate governance and real estate law. He has lectured and presented seminars for organizations including the Illinois State Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the Chicago Bar Association and the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education (IICLE). Mr. Anaya currently teaches environmental law at The John Marshall School of Law in Chicago as part of that school’s LLM Program. Previously, he taught an environmental law survey course at Loyola University School of Law in Chicago for 10 years.

“Every year, every class, I learn as much or more than I teach,” Mr. Anaya said about his experiences as an educator. “Teaching is a great dynamic.”

Most recently, Mr. Anaya was a partner and member of the Complex Litigation, Environmental and Real Estate practice groups in the Chicago office of Arnstein & Lehr LLP. He is currently the chair of IICLE and a member of IICLE’s Board of Directors since 2002. In 2005, Mr. Anaya received IICLE’s Addis E. Hull Award for Excellence in Legal Education. Mr. Anaya earned his law degree from Indiana University Maurer School of Law in Bloomington and holds a B.A. from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind.

Greensfelder’s environmental attorneys handle a variety of environmental claims in state and federal courts and before state and federal regulatory agencies. The firm’s environmental clients include cement plants, environmental remediation companies, farming and animal producers, hazardous waste processors and transporters, landfill owners, manufacturers, mineral processors, oil and gasoline jobbers and marketers, petroleum refiners and marketers, and real estate developers.

Greensfelder Hemker & Gale, PC, founded in 1895, is a full-service law firm with offices in Chicago, St. Louis and Belleville, Ill. The firm’s attorneys provide clients locally, nationally and internationally with comprehensive legal solutions in areas including communications and media, construction, corporate, creditor's rights and bankruptcy, educational, religious and tax-exempt organizations, employee benefits, environmental, franchising & distribution, health care, immigration, intellectual property and technology, labor and employment, litigation, real estate, tax, and trusts and estates. Find out more at www.greensfelder.com