Kendra S. Sherman

Partner

About Kendra

Kendra Sherman is the global chair of our Environmental, Safety & Health (ESH) Practice Group. With more than 25 years of experience, she advises public and private companies on high-stakes environmental litigation, enforcement, compliance, permitting and transactions – across chemicals, manufacturing, mining, energy, steel, waste management, infrastructure and transportation. As the global ESH Practice Group Leader, Kendra drives the practice's strategic growth and cross-border integration across North America, Europe and Asia.

A nationally recognized environmental lawyer and litigator, Kendra defends clients in complex federal and state enforcement actions, environmental tort litigation, citizen suits in federal and state courts and administrative tribunals in Ohio, West Virginia, Indiana, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Washington DC. Her practice covers the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and related state programs. She partners with executive teams to manage risk, respond to government investigations, negotiate with regulators and build compliance strategies that support business goals.

On the transactional side, Kendra advises sellers, lenders, investors and developers on environmental due diligence, brownfield redevelopment including under Ohio's Voluntary Action Program, and siting and permitting before the Ohio Power Siting Board and US Army Corps of Engineers. She also counsels multinational companies in the US, UK and Asia on California Proposition 65 product warning and labeling, supply chain compliance, extended producer responsibility, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), product stewardship and environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters.

In addition to her role as Global ESH Practice Group Leader, Kendra also serves as the firm's US National Hiring Chair, overseeing associate recruitment and development firmwide. She also previously served on the firm's Legal Personnel Committee. Kendra also represents many clients in pro bono matters. She also received the Volunteer Lawyer of the Year Award from the National Center for Adoption Law & Policy at Capital University Law School for her community service efforts in the field of adoption law.

Kendra is consistently recognized by Chambers USA, The Best Lawyers in America and Legal 500 US as a leading environmental lawyer. She has been named Columbus Environmental Lawyer of the Year multiple times and continues to be ranked among Ohio's top practitioners in environmental law and litigation.

Most recently, Kendra was recognized in The Best Lawyers in America for Environmental Law and Environmental Litigation and identified as the 2023 and 2026 Lawyer of the Year in Environmental Law in Columbus. She was also named a key lawyer for Environment: Litigation by Legal 500 US 2023 and is recognized in Chambers USA since 2022 for Natural Resources & Environment in Ohio.

Experience

  • Representing iron and steel, chemicals and landfill clients in a wide range of environmental, litigation, compliance, permitting, and state and federal enforcement matters and appeals for facilities located in Ohio, West Virginia, Indiana, Pennsylvania, New York, Minnesota, South Carolina and Texas.
  • Successfully defending steel facilities and landfill clients in class action suits filed in several federal and state courts involving nuisance and trespass claims associated with alleged odors and emissions.
  • Advising clients in numerous Title V air permit and NPDES permit appeals in administrative tribunals in Ohio, Indiana and Pennsylvania and successfully resolving the appeals following complex permitting negotiations with environmental regulators in those states.
  • Counseling real estate developers throughout the US on environmental issues and due diligence for commercial and residential property development, including drafting contract provisions, reps and warranties, indemnities and negotiating with lawyers, sellers and lenders on transactional issues.
  • Counseling one of the country’s leading developers of large, complex, mixed-use projects on property redevelopment matters related to environmental covenants and Ohio EPA’s Voluntary Action Program.
  • Advising clients throughout the US, the UK and Asia in matters regarding California Proposition 65, including defending clients in Proposition 65 notice of violation claims and in litigation filed in California courts; negotiating successful settlements with private parties in Proposition 65 matters; developing and implementing compliance programs and facilitating investigations and testing of products.
  • Representing an ethanol production plant in defense of its air and water permits in appeals filed by a citizen group and successfully resolving all issues in the appeals.
  • Representing an independent power producer in connection with obtaining a certificate of environmental compatibility and public need from the Ohio Power Siting Board for construction of an 850 MW combined cycle natural gas fired electric generating facility in Ohio and related environmental permits.
  • Representing several solid waste landfills and other environmental services companies in Ohio in permitting and enforcement matters, including counseling on disclosures and approvals from the Ohio attorney general’s Environmental Background Investigations Unit.
  • Representing real estate developers and other clients in jurisdictional waters and wetlands permitting matters, including successfully obtaining a remand of a jurisdictional waters determination by the Corps of Engineers and defending clients in jurisdictional waters enforcement matters.

Credentials

Education
  • The Ohio State University, J.D., managing editor, Ohio State Law Journal, 1997
  • Stanford University, B.A., 1992
Admissions
  • Ohio, 1997
Courts
  • U.S. Dist. Ct., N. Dist. of Ohio
  • U.S. Dist. Ct., S. Dist. of Ohio
Memberships & Affiliations
  • Member of the Ohio State Bar Association, Environmental Law Committee
  • Member of the Columbus Bar Association, Environmental Law Committee
  • Member of the Ohio Women’s Bar Association, Energy and Environment Subcommittee

Recognitions

  • Ranked for Environmental Law in Ohio by Chambers USA 2024-2026

  • Recognized by The Best Lawyers in America 2023 and 2026 for Lawyer of the Year in Environmental Law in Columbus

  • Recognized by The Best Lawyers in America for Environmental Litigation (2023, 2025 and 2026) and Environmental Law (2023 and 2025)

  • Named a key lawyer for Environment: Litigation by Legal 500 US 2023 and 2024

  • Recognized in Chambers USA 2022 and 2023 for Natural Resources & Environment in Ohio

  • Selected to serve on Law360’s 2021 Environmental Editorial Advisory Board

  • Selected as 2020 Columbus Lawyer of the Year for Environmental Law in The Best Lawyers in America

  • Listed in The Best Lawyers in America 2018-2022 for both Environmental Litigation and Environmental Law, an honor based on an extensive peer-review process

  • Recognized in Columbus CEO magazine’s Top Lawyers list for Environmental Law (2024), Environmental Health & Safety law (2016) and Environmental/Natural Resources law (2015)

  • Recognized for five years as a Rising Star in Ohio Super Lawyers

Expertise

Services
Environmental, Safety & Health
Industries
Energy & Natural Resources Chemicals