Fennemore Craig, P.C.Fennemore Craig, P.C. -- Celebrating 125 Years

Scott K. Ames

Mr. Ames is an experienced environmental litigator with a unique combination of professional experiences that provide extraordinary benefits to clients. As an environmental chemist earlier in his career, Mr. Ames was a manager at the Arizona State Laboratory responsible for the analyses of contaminants in air, water, soil and biological matrices. He was also responsible for the development of analytical methods to address emerging environmental and public health issues and the provision of training to public and private sector chemists, environmental consultants and assistant attorneys general in analytical techniques, methodologies and data interpretation. Because of his background in the environmental sciences and his experience addressing environmental enforcement issues from the side of the regulator, Mr. Ames brings a unique and invaluable perspective to the negotiation of such issues on behalf of the regulated community.

Mr. Ames has significant experience in representing corporate industrial entities and financial institutions in environmental enforcement actions, cost recovery actions and toxic torts. His experience also includes representation of state environmental agencies in complex environmental litigation, environmental laboratory fraud cases and providing consultation to state environmental agencies and attorneys general’s offices on matters related to analytical chemistry, hydrogeology and the fate and transport of chemicals in the environment.


Representative Cases

Defended industrial clients in governmental enforcement actions brought under CERCLA, RCRA, CWA and state environmental statutes.

Represented private parties in both the prosecution and defense of environmental claims including cost recovery under CERCLA, injunctive relief under RCRA, contract claims, toxic torts including property damage and personal injury, and insurance litigation to recover defense costs and indemnification.

Represented industrial entities and lending institutions in responding to agency requests for information, developing site assessment strategies, and negotiating consent agreements, de minimums settlements, no further action letters, and brownfields agreements.

Represented landowners and purchasers of property impacted by contamination, wetlands and endangered species in negotiating purchase and indemnification agreements.


Professional and Community Activities

Member, Environmental Transactions, Audits & Brownfields Committee; Superfund & Hazardous Waste Committee; Toxic Torts & Environmental Litigation Committee, American Bar Association

Member, Administrative Law Section; Environmental, Natural Resources Section; Trial Practice Section, State Bar of Arizona

Member, Environmental, Natural Resources Section; Torts, Insurance Practice Section, South Carolina Bar Association


Admissions

Arizona, 1993

South Carolina, 1999


Education

J.D., Lewis and Clark University, Northwestern School of Law, 1993

M.S., Arizona State University, 1989

B.S., Arizona State University, 1979