Kevin Holewinski is a trial lawyer with 34 years of experience litigating high-stakes environmental enforcement, climate change, and environmental bankruptcy matters. Before joining Jones Day, he was a trial lawyer at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) where he tried cases in many substantive areas, including environmental law, in courts in Alabama, Mississippi, Indiana, Illinois, Virginia, Washington, and the District of Columbia. Kevin received several awards for his trial work from both the Attorney General and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Kevin represents manufacturing, energy, chemical, and other clients in multimillion dollar civil enforcement and public nuisance actions, OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) proceedings, DOJ and state criminal investigations, PFAS (per- and polyfluorinated substances) tort litigation, and in indemnification disputes. He has extensive experience in air and groundwater contamination issues, human and ecological risk assessment, the science of climate change and PFAS chemicals, pursuing "takings" and other claims against the United States, and in conducting internal investigations. Kevin recently represented an auto manufacturer in connection with a billion dollar Clean Air Act civil enforcement action and parallel criminal investigation conducted by the DOJ.
Kevin has long been recognized as one of the leading lawyers in his field by various publications, including Best Lawyers in America's for Litigation-Environmental and Environmental Law. Kevin's success in obtaining the dismissal of various climate change tort lawsuits as well as litigating and resolving environmental issues arising from the Chrysler bankruptcy resulted in him being named by Law360 as an "Environmental MVP" (2012).
Video
Experience
Additional Speaking Engagements
- December 15, 2015
Executive Roundtable Series: The President's Last Stand: The Regulatory Environment in the President's Final Year - December 19, 2013
2013 Speaker Series: Year-End Energy Litigation Update - December 12, 2013
Executive Roundtable Series - A Year-End Legislative Roundup and Forecast - April 25, 2012
Eye on Climate Change Litigation: Assessing Risk and Preparing for the Future Post-AEP v. Connecticut, 3d Annual Chemical Products Liability and Environmental Litigation Conference - June 7, 2012
Jones Day Chicago 2012 MCLE University - March 1, 2012
Debrief of the DC Circuit's Oral Arguments on EPA's GHG Rulemakings - May 5, 2011
FTC's Greem Guides, Pay It Green Forum - April 27, 2011
Climate Change Tort Litigation, 2d Annual Chemical Products Liability and Environmental Litigation Conference - December 15, 2010
Executive Roundtable Series: A Year-End Legislative Roundup and Forecast - October 4, 2010
Town Hall Discussion - The Future of Climate Action - January 22, 2010
Preparing for Increased Litigation of Natural Damage Claims, Environmental Regulation and Enforcement, American Conference Institute’s Expert Forum - September 17, 2008
Climate Change Litigation and Corporate Risk: Navigating in an Uncertain Climate - May 2, 2008
Climate Change Litigation, panelist, Second Annual University of Washington School of Law Climate Change Conference: Solutions for the Northwest - March 5 – 8, 2008
Climate Change Litigation and Corporate Disclosure, panelist, LECG XPRT Forum - November 14, 2007
Climate Change Litigation, Environmental Law Institute's 16th Annual Boot Camp on Environmental Law - November 16, 2006
Panel Discussion, Climate Change Goes To Court, 2006 Federalist Society's National Lawyers Convention, Panelists: Professor Richard Lazarus, Georgetown University Law Center; Jeffrey Clark, Kirkland & Ellis and former Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Environment and Natural Resources; and Kevin P. Holewinski, Jones Day. Moderator: Hon. Edith H. Jones.
- Capital University (J.D. magna cum laude 1987; First in Class; Articles Editor, Law Review); Bethany College (B.A. 1982)
- Pennsylvania and District of Columbia
- United States Department of Justice: Trial Attorney, Environmental Enforcement Section, Environment and Natural Resources Division (1992-1994); Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Columbia, Criminal Division (1991-1992); and Trial Attorney, Attorney General's Honor Program, Civil Rights Division (1987-1991)
Named in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business (2004-2015), where he has been described as "[a] fantastic litigator and appellate lawyer"
Recommended in The Legal 500 (2009-2023) for Environmental Litigation and described as "best-in-class"
Recognized in Lawdragon Green 500: Leaders in Environmental Law (Litigation) (2023)
Recognized in Who's Who Legal: "Environment & Climate Change" (2022)
Washington DC Super Lawyers (2010-2023)
Washington's Top Lawyers — Environmental Litigation, The Washingtonian magazine (since 2009)