Stephen Berlin has significant experience in several areas of environmental law, including environmental litigation, business transactions involving environmental issues and environmental compliance matters. Since joining the firm, he has worked in most areas of environmental litigation, both in federal and state courts with an emphasis on private environmental costs recovery actions and representations of potentially responsible parties at Superfund sites and RCRA issues. Mr. Berlin has handled matters both at the trial and appellate levels in both federal and state courts. He has handled numerous matters involving plaintiff's claims of injury caused by contamination.
Mr. Berlin has been lead counsel for some of the largest Brownfields projects in the Southeast U.S. In recent years, he has litigated toxic tort, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), and Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) cases in all the district courts of North and South Carolina and successfully argued a case involving the interpretation of CERCLA to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. During the course of this career, he has acted as lead environmental counsel for several multi-million dollar business transactions involving manufacturing concerns throughout the United States.
Mr. Berlin was recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® for Environmental Law in 2013 and the five years immediately preceding. He has also been recognized in the 2012 and the three years immediately preceding editions of Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business and named to Business North Carolina’s 2010, 2012 and 2013 "Legal Elite" list. He was recognized among the Triad's "Most Influential" professional executives for 2010, 2011 and 2012 by the Triad Business Journal. He has been recognized as a North Carolina "Super Lawyer" by SuperLawyers magazine for Environmental Litigation and Land Use/Zoning in 2010 and Environmental Law in 2010, 2012 and 2013 and recognized in The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers for 2010 and 2011. He is AV® rated by Martindale-Hubbell.*
*CV, BV, and AV are registered certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedure's standards and policies.
Professional & Community Activities
Chair Development Committee of Winston-Salem Children's Museum
Wake Forest University School of Law, Adjunct Professor and coach of the National Trial Court Team
Forsyth County Bar Association, Past President (2003)
Wake Forest Law School Board of Visitors
Vice Chair of Arts Council Board
Chair of Winston-Salem Business Inc.
Past Chair of Enrichment Center Board
