Michael J. Naughton

Michael Naughton is a seasoned environmental litigator with more than 40 years of experience handling environmental issues, including regulatory compliance. He frequently advises on real estate transactions, providing environmental counseling regarding the sale, purchasing, and leasing of commercial property. In addition, he advises clients with cleanups and redevelopment of contaminated properties on matters of environmental due diligence and contractual allocation of environmental risks in transactions. This includes disclosure laws and obligations regarding environmental conditions on real property, and permit requirements under state and federal regulatory laws.

Michael has litigated a wide variety of environmental cases involving various claims, such as natural resource damage claims throughout the United States. He represents clients in complex civil environmental litigation and the defense of government enforcement actions and counsels a diverse group of product manufacturers on compliance issues.

Michael maintains a national CERCLA practice and routinely appears before the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, New Jersey Office of Administrative Law and the New York Department of Environmental Conservation. His practice includes all aspects of the regulation of pesticides including the manufacture, import, distribution, labeling, registration and use of all type of consumer agricultural pesticide products under the Federal Insecticide Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) with special focus on antimicrobial pesticides and devices.

Michael also has significant experience advising on federal and state regulation of environmental marketing and advertising claims relating to the garment/retail space and identifying and evaluating greenwashing.

OSHA Experience

Michael works with clients to develop strategies to enhance workplace safety to avoid OSHA violations. He has significant experience in defending clients facing OSHA citations, providing representation throughout the process from negotiating settlements to administrative litigation and appeal.

The OSHA process can include:

• compliance guidance with regulation specific programs meeting OSHA’s reporting requirements;
• guidance when OSHA demands for information, documents, photos and/or employee interviews;
• responding to violation citations from OSHA including willful and repeated violations;
• participating in informal conferences and negotiations with OSHA’s local area offices;
• negotiating informal or formal settlement agreements; and
• providing a formal defense of OSHA enforcement actions.

As part of his practice with the rest of the CSG Law Environmental Group, the team constantly monitors and updates clients on legislative and regulatory developments in the workplace health and safety arena.