Mary

W.  Koks

Shareholder
700 Milam Street, Suite 800
Houston, TX 77002-2806

Overview

Mary joined the Firm in 2005, and has more than 40 years of experience in the environmental arena, focusing on environmental litigation, enforcement, remediation, compliance, counseling, transactional and permitting matters.

She regularly represents clients in administrative and civil enforcement cases before the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH). Many of Mary’s clients recognize that her strong working relationships with each of these agencies allows complicated processes to move forward more quickly.

Mary also represents potentially responsible parties and landowners in environmental lawsuits including bankruptcy matters, toxic tort, property claims and suits brought under various environmental acts including Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Oil Pollution Act (OPA), Clean Water Act (CWA), Clean Air Act (CAA) and comparable state statutes. Mary is board certified in business bankruptcy and regularly assists her environmental clients in asserting claims in bankruptcy proceedings, and represents several large Environmental Bankruptcy Trusts set up by Debtors, the EPA and Department of Justice to ensure that extremely contaminated properties are remediated.

In addition, she assists and advises clients on environmental issues in real estate related transactions, corporate acquisitions and mergers, insurance claims as well as regulatory compliance, supervision of environmental compliance audits and the Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures (SPCC) plans.

Mary’s clients appreciate that no matter how complex a situation may be, she has the ability to immediately clarify and narrow the primary deal issues so they can be adequately resolved. This, in turn, enables her to quickly address the more minor stumbling blocks in a given case. Throughout her career, Mary has developed subject matter expertise and unparalleled experience that allow her to effectively and efficiently represent major clients in their environmental affairs.

Education

Admissions

Achievements

  • American Lawyer Media – Top Rated Lawyer for Energy, Environmental and Natural Resources (2013)
  • Chambers USA – Leaders in Their Field, Environmental – Texas (2010-2012)
  • H Texas Magazine – Top Lawyers (2009-2011, 2014-2015)
  • Houstonia Magazine – Top Lawyer, Environmental (2022-2023)
  • Martindale-Hubbell® AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated
  • National Diversity Council – Houston's Top 50 Women in Law (2017)
  • Thomson Reuters – Texas Super Lawyers (2006-2023); Texas Super Lawyers, Business Edition and Corporate Counsel Edition (2009); Texas Super Lawyers: Women's Edition (2006-2023)
  • Woodward/White, Inc. – Best Lawyers in America, “Lawyer of the Year” (2017, 2023); Best Lawyers in America, Environmental Law (2007-2024); Best Lawyers in America, Litigation – Environmental (2011-2024)
  • Memberships

    • American Bar Association, Environmental and Natural Law Section (SDF Committee, Membership Chair)
    • Houston Bar Association, Environmental Section (Past Chair)
    • State Bar of Texas, Environmental and Natural Resources Section (Past Chair; Current Pro-Bono Committee Chair)
    • Texas Bar Foundation (Fellow)

Overview

Mary joined the Firm in 2005, and has more than 40 years of experience in the environmental arena, focusing on environmental litigation, enforcement, remediation, compliance, counseling, transactional and permitting matters.

She regularly represents clients in administrative and civil enforcement cases before the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH). Many of Mary’s clients recognize that her strong working relationships with each of these agencies allows complicated processes to move forward more quickly.

Mary also represents potentially responsible parties and landowners in environmental lawsuits including bankruptcy matters, toxic tort, property claims and suits brought under various environmental acts including Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Oil Pollution Act (OPA), Clean Water Act (CWA), Clean Air Act (CAA) and comparable state statutes. Mary is board certified in business bankruptcy and regularly assists her environmental clients in asserting claims in bankruptcy proceedings, and represents several large Environmental Bankruptcy Trusts set up by Debtors, the EPA and Department of Justice to ensure that extremely contaminated properties are remediated.

In addition, she assists and advises clients on environmental issues in real estate related transactions, corporate acquisitions and mergers, insurance claims as well as regulatory compliance, supervision of environmental compliance audits and the Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures (SPCC) plans.

Mary’s clients appreciate that no matter how complex a situation may be, she has the ability to immediately clarify and narrow the primary deal issues so they can be adequately resolved. This, in turn, enables her to quickly address the more minor stumbling blocks in a given case. Throughout her career, Mary has developed subject matter expertise and unparalleled experience that allow her to effectively and efficiently represent major clients in their environmental affairs.

Experience

  • Environmental Trust

    Represented an environmental custodial trust in legal issues relating to the negotiation and sale of numerous Trust Assets; demolition of on Site plant and stacks; coordination

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  • Environmental Trust

    Represented an environmental trust in legal issues relating to negotiating a Settlement Agreement and Environmental Trust Agreement, coordination of site ownership

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  • Environmental Trust

    Represented an environmental trust in legal issues relating to ownership of the site and four adjacent parcels of land; coordination with regulatory agencies and the DOJ on site

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