Kelley Drye and the State of New Jersey Selected as Finalist for Best Client Law-Firm Team at ALM Industry Awards

Kelley Drye and the State of New Jersey were named finalists in ALM’s Industry Awards for Best Client Law Firm Team, a recognition that honors the legal industry’s most impactful and significant achievements over the past year.

For more than two decades, Kelley Drye’s environmental practice has served as a trusted strategic partner to the State of New Jersey. Working closely with the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, the Department of Environmental Protection, and other state agencies, the firm has played a key role in advancing some of the state’s most consequential environmental enforcement, natural resource damage, and public-interest matters.

A major focus of this longstanding partnership has been contamination caused by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly known as ​“forever chemicals.” Through extensive litigation and enforcement initiatives, Kelley Drye and the State have collaborated to hold responsible parties accountable for environmental harm and to secure meaningful recoveries on behalf of New Jersey residents.

The strength of this collaboration was demonstrated through two landmark resolutions achieved in 2025. These included a $450 million settlement with 3M related to PFAS contamination and a historic settlement exceeding $2 billion with DuPont. The DuPont resolution represents the largest environmental recovery ever secured by a single state and ranks among the most significant legal recoveries in United States history.

These groundbreaking PFAS recoveries are the latest achievements in a partnership built on decades of collaboration, strategic coordination, and shared commitment to environmental protection. While the recent settlements underscore the exceptional results the team has achieved, they also reflect a long history of success across numerous complex and high-profile environmental matters that have delivered lasting benefits to the State of New Jersey and its residents.

Click here to read more about the ALM Industry Awards and for the full list of finalists.