Adam Baas, one of the country’s leading emerging contaminants litigators, has joined BakerHostetler in San Francisco as a partner in the firm’s Litigation Practice Group and a member of the Environmental and Product Liability and Toxic Tort teams. He joins from DLA Piper.
Baas has more than two decades of experience in high-stakes toxic tort, product liability and environmental litigation, as well as in environmental compliance and enforcement counseling and defense. He has been at the forefront of PFAS litigation for nearly a decade, leading discussions nationwide on the evolving state of the law and science surrounding these compounds.
Baas bolsters BakerHostetler’s Chambers-ranked and nationally recognized Product Liability and Toxic Tort and Environmental teams, providing a sophisticated federal practice coupled with strong litigation chops and a robust understanding of complex state and local issues. His addition also aligns with the firm’s West Coast strategic plan of steady and smart expansion while achieving a full-service platform in its Los Angeles, Orange County, San Francisco and Seattle offices.
“Adam will fit right in at BakerHostetler because he fights hard for his clients. His 20-plus years of high-stakes toxic tort, product liability and environmental litigation experience across the chemical, oil and gas, pharmaceutical, food, textile and agriculture sectors will be an important asset to our firm and clients. He is also an adept business counselor our clients will turn to for sound advice on managing their most critical environmental risks. We are excited to have Adam further strengthen our national team on the West Coast,” said Steven Dettelbach, chair of BakerHostetler’s Litigation Practice Group.
“Adam has been a leading environmental and toxic tort litigator in the Bay Area for the past 14 years, and his addition adds game-changing litigation expertise in the area of emerging contaminants such as PFAS and ethylene oxide and bolsters the firm’s environmental capabilities in California and across the country,” said Robb Adkins, partner-in-charge of BakerHostetler’s San Francisco office. “His arrival further solidifies our full-service offerings on the West Coast, and we look forward to recruiting even more top talent in the years to come.”
With more than two decades of experience in high-stakes product liability, toxic tort and environmental litigation, Baas has established himself as one of the country’s leading litigators in matters involving emerging contaminants in the air, water and sediment.
Throughout his notable career, Baas has developed a notable specialty litigating complex environmental matters concerning PFAS, an abbreviation for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, benzene, methyl tertiary butyl ether, ethylene oxide, 6PPD and dioxin. His broad practice encompasses state attorneys general actions seeking natural resource damages under environmental statutes and novel product liability theories, as well as defending citizen suits under a variety of environmental laws, including completing a trial recently in federal court surrounding the use of 6PPD in tires.
Baas has been at the forefront of PFAS litigation for nearly a decade, leading discussions nationwide on the evolving state of the law and science surrounding these compounds. He has defended actions alleging PFAS contamination and exposure in both state and federal courts, including multidistrict litigation and putative class actions — including playing an important role in the national litigation surrounding PFAS historically present in firefighting foam.
Over the course of more than 20 years in state and federal courts, Baas has served as lead counsel representing corporate clients in a wide range of complex multi-plaintiff matters. He brings extensive experience navigating locally managed mass torts in state courts and national multidistrict litigation in federal courts. His collaborative work with the nation’s leading experts in toxicology, chemistry, hydrology and epidemiology provides his clients with a decisive advantage in complex scientific litigation.
Beyond litigation, Baas routinely assists clients in identifying and mitigating future risks related to emerging contaminants. His advisory practice includes counseling on regulatory compliance with state and federal environmental laws; representing companies in the remediation, purchase and sale of contaminated properties; negotiating access agreements; and reviewing environmental aspects of real estate transactions.
Baas received his J.D. from Boston University School of Law and a B.A. from the University of Oregon.
BakerHostetler helps clients around the world address their most complex and critical business and regulatory issues. Its highly ranked attorneys deliver sophisticated counsel and outstanding client service. The Firm has six core practice groups – Business, Digital Assets and Data Management, Intellectual Property, Labor and Employment, Litigation, and Tax – and more than 1,000 lawyers coast to coast.
