Stephen Berlin has significant experience in several areas of environmental law, including environmental litigation, business transactions involving environmental issues and environmental compliance matters. Since joining the firm, he has worked in most areas of environmental litigation, both in federal and state courts with an emphasis on private environmental costs recovery actions and representations of potentially responsible parties at Superfund sites and RCRA issues. Mr. Berlin has handled matters both at the trial and appellate levels in both federal and state courts. He also regularly counsels and advises clients on concerns related to business transactions.

Mr. Berlin has been lead counsel for some of the largest Brownfields projects in the Southeast U.S. In recent years, he has litigated toxic tort, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), and Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) cases in all the district courts of North and South Carolina and successfully argued a case involving the interpretation of CERCLA to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. During the course of this career, he has acted as lead environmental counsel for several multi-million dollar business transactions involving manufacturing concerns throughout the United States.

Mr. Berlin was recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® for Environmental Law in 2010 and the three years immediately preceding. He has also been recognized in the 2009 edition of Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, named to Business North Carolina’s 2009 "Legal Elite" list, recognized as a 2009 North Carolina "Super Lawyer" by SuperLawyers magazine for Environmental, Environmental Litigation and Land Use/Zoning and recognized in The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers for 2009. He is AV® rated by Martindale-Hubbell.*

*CV, BV, and AV are registered certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedure's standards and policies.

Professional & Community Activities

Wake Forest University School of Law, Adjunct Professor and coach of the National Trial Court Team

Forsyth County Bar Association, Past President (2003)

Education

  • Wake Forest University School of Law, J.D. (1984)
    cum laude
  • Wake Forest University, B.A.
    cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa

Bar Admissions

  • North Carolina (1984)

Clerkships

  • U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina — Chief Judge Hiram H. Ward

Who We Are

1001 West Fourth Street
Winston-Salem, NC, 27101-2400
USA
t +1 336.607.7304
f +1 336.734.2614

Stephen R. Berlin

Experience Highlights

Hazardous waste and Superfund defense for subsidiary companies of a furniture manufacturer
Represented subsidiary companies of a furniture manufacturer in a large group of de micromis and de minimis parties regarding hazardous waste more
Stratford Metal Finishing v. NC Dept of Environment Health and Natural Resources, Division of Waste Management
Represented Stratford Metal Finishing Inc., an electroplating company, regarding Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) hazardous waste issues more
Counsel for environmental related issues in North Carolina city and county
Represented city and county in North Carolina on various environmental matters, including the expansion of existing landfills, work issues concerning more
United States of America et al. v. Wachovia Bank and Trust Company, N.A.
The firm served as lead counsel on behalf of third party defendant, Achieve Bank N.A., successfully argued the first reported case before the U.S. more