Attorneys

Gretchen M. Mendez-Vilella is a partner in the Firm's Corporate and Banking Law Department, where she specializes in Environmental Law.  Ms. Mendez-Vilella has ample experience in hazardous substance compliance (including RCRA permitting, EPCRA and UST requirements); clean air compliance (including local RCAP compliance, PSD and Title V permitting), clean water compliance (including NPDES, SPCC and PRASA permitting and compliance), facility assessment and remediation (from the CERCLA and transactional perspectives) and litigation matters, including defending federal civil enforcement actions.  She regularly appears before federal and local environmental agency officials to advocate on behalf of industrial and commercial clients.  She directs environmental audits, self policing efforts, and assists clients in establishing environmental compliance assurance programs. Ms. Mendez-Vilella is skilled at delivering creative solutions aimed at a wide range of environmental compliance matters at a federal, Commonwealth and local level that afford the client the much needed flexibility to remain competitive in this ever changing market.  Ms. Mendez-Vilella continues to be dedicated to local environmental and natural resources agency regulatory drafting efforts, since she worked at the P.R. Environmental Quality Board.  She is also a lecturer on Solid Waste, Title V permitting, minor source operational flexibility, auditing and self disclosure, land use and environmental permitting and all appropriate inquiries standards for environmental due diligence in real estate transactions.