Amanda G. Halter

As a testament to the strength of her practice, Amanda is consistently recognized as a leading lawyer for environmental law by numerous publications and directories. She is ranked by Best Lawyers and has earned the distinction of “Lawyer of the Year” (2024). She has also been recognized among the top lawyers for environmental law and litigation as a recipient of the Texas Legal Excellence Awards by Texas Lawyer (2021) and listed in The Legal 500 U.S., among other accolades.

Amanda frequently speaks or writes on emerging environmental and natural resource issues and developments, with topics varying from climate change to natural resource damages to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), among others. She is often highlighted in the media for her work by outlets such as Law360, Dow Jones Institutional News and Texas Lawyer, to name a few.

• Counseled domestic paper company on evaluating and managing climate change-exacerbated risks
• Counseled specialty chemicals company on various compliance matters and development of new business lines, including waste disposal, and related regulatory engagement
• Advises foreign industry on U.S. governmental and stakeholder engagement in connection with planned operational expansions into the U.S., particularly Texas
• Advises on collaborative and non-collaborative natural resource damages assessments with federal, state and tribal natural resource trustees under federal regulations
• Provided crisis management counsel to various companies and individuals in a wide variety of matters involving the potential for substantial financial or reputational losses, including to a refinery following fire incidents causing substantial property damages and personal injuries, a manufacturing company following allegations of releases that led to shutdown of municipal water supplies, a public company following discovery of alleged misconduct by a chief executive, a prestigious private high school following allegations of teacher misconduct, a foreign company whose substantial U.S.-based investment was jeopardized following emergence of U.S. security concerns, and a U.S. federal contractor adversely impacted by federal-state political discord
• Represented private equity firm in acquisition of unique low-level radioactive waste disposal, storage, and treatment facility from previous public company owner, including multi-layer state government engagement to support transfer of and modifications to complex regulatory financial assurances obligations
• Represented coastal desalination company on successful decade-long bid to secure state and federal permits in California
• Secured dismissal of soils contamination claims related to alleged industrial aerial emissions under CERCLA at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
• Developed and implemented successful expert strategy in multi-venue toxic tort claims

• Named a Top Lawyer for Land Use Environment by Houstonia (2022).
• Named a winner of the Texas Legal Awards by ALM Media and Texas Lawyer (2021).
• Vice-chair of the Board of Directors for the Alliance for Multicultural Community Services (2016 – 2018).
• Houston Bar Association Gender Fairness Committee (2017 – 2019) (President’s Award). Co-chair.
• Speaking Engagements
  • “Guiding Principles to Effectively Analyze and Manage PFAS Risks,” ABA Toxic Tort and Environmental Law Conference, April 12, 2024.
  • “Patterns and Takeaways from Federal National Resources Damages Consent Decrees,” Law Seminars International's 15th Annual “Santa Fe” Advanced Conference on Natural Resource Damages, September 14, 2023.

  • Texas Environmental SuperConference (August 2022):  Contaminated Sites: Reopeners.

  • Wall Street Journal WSJ Pro Sustainable Business Forum (April 2022): Preparing for Lawsuits (wsj.com).

  • University of Houston Law Center: Climate Change Law (April 2022) Guest professor.

  • “Confronting and Managing Difficult Situations: Leadership in the Time of Crisis,” ABA Business Law Virtual Spring Meeting, April 21, 2021. Panelist.

  • “Episode #4: Crisis Management and the Pivot,” The Pillsbury Industry Insights Podcast, May 11, 2020.
• Associations
  • Co-chair, Houston Bar Association Lawyers for a Beautiful Houston Committee (f/k/a Lawyers Against Waste) (2016 – 2017)
  • Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation
  • Fellow of the Houston Bar Foundation
  • American Bar Association – Environment, Energy & Resources Section
  • Texas Bar Association – Environmental & Natural Resources Law Section
  • Houston Bar Association – Environmental Law Section
  • Federal Bar Association
  • Women’s Energy Network
• Selected Presentations
  • “SEC Update Part II: Climate Disclosures & ESG,” Pillsbury webinar, December 6, 2023.
  • “On Remedies and Restoration—How Current Superfund Reforms are Impacting Natural Resource Damages Cases,” The Ninth Annual Advanced DC Conference on Litigating, Natural Resource Damages, March 2020.
  • “ The Ethical Case for Diversity,” Texas Environmental SuperConference, Aug. 2019.

  • “Crisis Management Best Practices,” Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation, Defend Your Corporate Reputation conference, November 2018.

  • “Crisis Preparedness in the New World: A Few Best Practices and Emerging Tools In-House Counsel Needs to Know,” Pillsbury CLE Northern Virginia CLE Marathon, September 2018.

  • “Sexual Harassment Scandal: Managing a Corporate Crisis,” Pillsbury California CLE Marathons, January 2018.

  • “NRD Recovery under CERCLA and OPA: What to Expect in 2018,” Webinar, December 20, 2017.
  • “Admissibility of Technical Evidence: Practitioner Perspectives on Getting New Science into the Record, or Keeping it Out,” Law Seminars International: The 11th Annual Santa Fe Advance Conference on Litigating Natural Resources Damages, Santa Fe, New Mexico, July 19, 2017.
  • “Natural Resource Damages Claims: Preparation and Management,” Texas Coastal Law: Legal Issues, Permitting & Conservation, Houston, Texas, June 8, 2017.
  • “Ten Best Practices for Crisis Management,” Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation Corporate Crisis and Security Forum 2017, Dallas, Texas, March 1, 2017.
  • “Deploy a Net Environmental Benefit Analysis (NEBA) in Offshore Decommissioning,” 8th Annual Decommissioning & Abandonment Summit 2016, Houston, Texas, February 24, 2016.
  • “Bringing Sound Technical Principles to Fruition within Legal and Administrative Regimes,” 7th Annual Decommissioning & Abandonment Summit 2015; March 19, 2015.
  • “Principles of Crisis Management from a Legal Perspective”; Webinar; March 3, 2015.
  • “Water Buyer Be Wise: The Changing Landscape of Texas Water Law,” Pillsbury’s Oil & Gas Environmental Working Group; October 16, 2013.
  • “How to Survive & Thrive after a Crisis Event,” Presentation to National Retail Federation General Counsel’s Forum; June 19, 2013.
• External Publications
  • “Preparing for Sustainability-Related Lawsuits,” Wall Street Journal Pro Sustainable Business Forum, July 20, 2022. Author.

  • Counterculture: The Uncertain Legal Bases for Stand-Alone Tribal/Cultural Damages Recoveries for Natural Resource Injuries Under CERCLA.

  • “Waste Update,” Volume 52, Texas Environmental Law Journal, Spring 2022. Co-author with Christian Green.

  • Quoted in “SEC Climate Disclosure Proposal Looms as Litigation Risk,” The Wall Street Journal, March 26, 2022.
  • “As Climate Litigation Heats Up, More Cos. Face Liability Risk,” Law360, November 24, 2021. Co-author.
  • “Preparing to Survive and Thrive Amidst the Next Crisis,” Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance, October 21, 2020. Co-author.
  • Featured in “Coping With A Pandemic: Pillsbury's Amanda Halter,” Impact Financial News, May 24, 2020.
  • Interviewed in “Coping With A Pandemic: Pillsbury's Amanda Halter,” Law360, May 18, 2020.

  • “Casenotes—Federal,” Texas Environmental Law Journal, Spring 2020. Author.

  • Amanda Halter & Ashleigh Acevedo, How a New Ecological Augmentation Remedy Option Could Advance Superfund Site Closures at Mining-Impacted Sites, 34 Natural Resources & Environment 2, Am. Bar Assn., Section of Envt., Energy, & Resources (Nov. 13, 2019).
  • Amanda Halter & Ashleigh Acevedo, Is it Closing Time for Reopener Provisions in CERCLA Natural Resource Damages Settlements, Superfund & Natural Resource Damages Litigation, Am. Bar Assn., Section of Envt., Energy, & Resources (April 12, 2019).
  • “Resilience: A Secret Weapon for Women in the Law,” The Houston Lawyer, March/April 2018. Author.
  • “High Court Roundup: Recent Pending Environmental Cases,” Law360, September 19, 2014. Co-author.
  • “Texas One Major Step Closer to Efficient GHG Permitting,” Law360, November 13, 2013. Co-author.
  • “New Texas Laws Will Boost the State’s Energy Industry,” Law360, July 18, 2013. Co-author.
• Blog Posts
  • “Rulemaking to Modernize, Expand DOI’s 'Type A' Natural Resource Damage Assessment Rules Expected Fall 2023,” Pillsbury’s Gravel2Gavel, November 29, 2023.
  • “Proposed Rule to Designate Two PFAS Chemicals as Hazardous Substances Stands to Up the Ante for Site Remediation,” Pillsbury’s PFAS Observer, September 2, 2022.
  • “Critical Materials for the Energy Transition: Of “Rare Earths” and Even Rarer Minerals,” Pillsbury’s Gravel2Gavel, August 10, 2022.
  • “Washington, DC’s COVID-19 Eviction Moratorium Expires,” Pillsbury’s Gravel2Gavel, August 2, 2021.
  • “Supreme Court Declines to Address CDC Eviction Moratorium,” Pillsbury’s Gravel2Gavel, July 6, 2021.
  • “Federal Judge Vacates CDC Eviction Moratorium Nationwide,” Pillsbury’s Gravel2Gavel, May 10, 2021.
  • “Federal Judge Strikes Down CDC’s COVID-19 Eviction Moratorium,” Pillsbury’s Gravel2Gavel, March 8, 2021.