William Rawson retired from the partnership in December 2013. He is the former Co-Chair of the Global Chemical Regulation, Product Strategy & Defense Practice. He practices environmental law and litigation and has deep expertise and experience across a particularly broad range of practice areas, including chemical-related consumer fraud class actions and other product defenses.
Mr. Rawson has represented clients in connection with litigations, agency rulemaking proceedings, Congressional Investigations and petitions arising under most major environmental statutes, including:
- Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
- Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA)
- Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)
- OSHA
- Clean Air Act
- Clean Water Act
- Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
- Safe Drinking Water Act
- Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act
- Federal Hazardous Substances Act
- California Proposition 65
Mr. Rawson has testified on TSCA reform most recently before the US House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce and twice before the US Senate Committee on the Environmental and Public Works. He regularly speaks on various ELR topics and has co-authored a handbook published by the Environmental Law Institute and a cover story for European Chemical News. Chambers USA 2013-2015 recommends Mr. Rawson for his environmental work and The Legal 500 US 2013-2015 recommends Mr. Rawson as an attorney in product liability and mass tort defense: consumer products.
Before joining Latham in 1982, he served as a law clerk to Judge Jerome J. Farris of the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Community and Professional Activities
- Member, Board of Directors, Environmental Law Institute (2010-present)
- Trustee, Phillips Exeter Academy (Exeter, N.H.) (2004-present)
- Trustee, E.L. Haynes Public Charter School (2012-present)
- Member, Stanford Law School Board of Visitors (2005-2011)
Thought Leadership
- TSCA Deskbook, Environmental Law Institute, 1st edition (1999), 2nd edition (2012)
- “Real Environmental Protection: Not a Paper Exercise,” Environmental Law Reporter, Vol. 42 No. 2 (Feb. 2012)
- “Assessing the Risks,” European Chemical News (5-11 July 2004)