Biography

Mr. Comella is head of the Environmental, Safety and Toxic Torts Practice Group in the Chicago office of Seyfarth Shaw and a member of the Leading Lawyer Network in Environmental Law. Mr. Comella has broad experience defending state and federal enforcement actions brought under a host of different environmental laws, including Superfund, RCRA, TSCA, the Clean Air Act, and the Clean Water Act. He has extensive experience defending environmental and engineering professionals against negligence and contract claims, and has also defended companies from toxic tort lawsuits relating to the release of hazardous chemicals. He has defended environmental consultants for allegedly flawed environmental assessments, incomplete mold assessments, and negligent safety training. With a long history in the solid and hazardous waste industry, he regularly represents companies on a variety of matters arising from the generation, transportation, and disposal of waste, including those arising from the off-site migration of landfill gas. He has handled numerous cases bridging environmental and bankruptcy law. In the growing area of renewable energy, he has wide-ranging experience with environmental and contractual issues involving the use of landfill gas and other renewable energy sources, including the drafting of negotiations and power purchase agreements. Prior to joining Seyfarth Shaw, Mr. Comella spent seven years as in-house counsel for a major waste management company where he had responsibility for hazardous waste issues arising across the country.

Education

J.D., George Washington University, with honors (1983)

Articles Editor, George Washington University Journal of International Law and Economics

B.A., Beloit College, cum laude (1978)

Admissions

• Illinois

Courts

• United States Supreme Court
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh and District of Columbia Circuits
• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Trial Bar

The Supreme Court of Illinois does not recognize certifications of specialties in the practice of law and no certificate, award or recognition is a requirement to practice law in Illinois.