King & Spalding has added Karl Heisler as a partner to its Government Matters practice in Chicago, where he will be part of the Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) team. Heisler’s practice covers incident response and enforcement defense, including environmental litigation, regulatory counseling, government investigations and transactional concerns. His clients include public and privately held companies in the pipeline energy, chemical manufacturing, construction and waste management sectors. Heisler was previously a partner and co-head of the Internal Environmental Investigations and Incident Response practice at Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP.
“Karl’s practice, together with several shared clients, makes him a natural fit for our EHS team and another valuable addition in our continued investment in the group,” said Wick Sollers, head of the firm’s Government Matters practice. “His experience advising on high-profile environmental incidents augments the development of our incident response capabilities as well as our national environmental practice as a whole.”
Heisler is ranked by Legal 500 USA and Benchmark Litigation and was named a Rising Star by Law360. He received his BA from the University of Virginia and his JD from the University of Virginia School of Law. His hire follows that of environmental and energy partner Marcella Burke, previously former senior counselor to Assistant Secretary of Land and Mineral Management within the United States Department of the Interior, who joined the Government Matters practice in September.
“Karl will anchor the EHS practice in Chicago, which is an important center for environmental legal work for both the Midwest region and the nation,” added Zach Fardon, Office Managing Partner in Chicago. “The firm has numerous significant clients in the Midwest, and adding Karl provides new and exciting opportunities for the firm.”
“King & Spalding has a strong commitment to its environmental practice, and I am excited about joining forces with my new colleagues with impressive regulatory, enforcement and crisis experience to grow the practice,” said Heisler.