Mr. Mazgani practices in the firm’s Environmental Law Department. In that capacity, Mr. Mazgani has been involved in numerous civil, criminal and regulatory environmental matters involving soil and groundwater contamination, toxic torts, CERCLA, and a wide array of State and Federal regulatory schemes. Mr. Mazgani regularly appears in both federal and state courts and works closely with representatives of a number of environmental regulatory agencies, including the Regional Water Quality Control Boards and the Department of Toxic Substances Control, on behalf of the firm’s clients.
Mr. Mazgani’s experience with CERCLA litigation and its California counterpart, the Hazardous Substances Account Act (HSAA), includes representing numerous corporate clients in multi-party CERCLA cost recovery and contribution actions, overseeing and directing investigations to identify Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs), working closely with litigation consultants to develop fate and transport models, advising both private corporations and public entities with respect to National Contingency Plan (NCP) compliance, advising hazardous waste generators with respect to “arranger” liability, advising clients with respect to de minimis CERCLA settlements and assisting clients in responding to requests for information from U.S. EPA.
Mr. Mazgani’s expertise also extends to the defense of complex toxic tort litigation matters. Mr. Mazgani has successfully defended both private corporations and public entities against lawsuits alleging exposures to hazardous materials present in indoor air by reason of vapor intrusion and the ingestion of contaminated drinking water. Mr. Mazgani’s representations include the successful defense of governmental entities in a high profile toxic tort matter brought by over 1,000 former residents of a publicly owned low-income housing complex in which our firm obtained a complete dismissal on behalf of the governmental entities following extensive expert discovery, depositions and successful motions to exclude the testimony of plaintiffs’ experts.
Mr. Mazgani’s environmental expertise also extends to non-litigation environmental matters. Mr. Mazgani routinely advises the firm’s clients with respect to environmental due diligence, environmental reporting and disclosure obligations, permit transfers, warranties and representations in transactions involving the purchases and sales of businesses, transfers of real property, commercial leases and indemnity agreements.
Mr. Mazgani’s environmental expertise also extends to advising clients in relation to Brownfield developments, responding to cleanup and abatement orders, obtaining no further action letters, complying with notice and disclosure requirements, prosecuting insurance claims involving environmental liabilities and the appointment of Cumis counsel, advising clients with respect to Underground Storage Tank (UST) regulations and prosecuting claims involving the UST Cleanup Fund.
Mr. Mazgani’s experience also extends to criminal prosecutions under environmental laws, including defending transporters being prosecuted for violations of U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations, defending property and business owners being prosecuted for the illegal storage and disposal of hazardous wastes, defending individual corporate officers alleged to have personal liability for environmental crimes and advising corporate clients in relation to grand jury subpoenas and investigations that may result in criminal liability.
In addition to his environmental litigation experience, as a member of the firm’s Litigation Group, Mr. Mazgani has also participated in a variety of business litigation matters involving breaches of contract, trade secrets, unfair competition, defamation, partnership disputes, commercial leases, construction defects, wrongful termination and class action defense.
EDUCATION
• University of Southern California B.A. in Political Science, 1996
• University of Southern California Law Center J.D., 1999