People
Peter Hsiao has 39 years of experience as a first-chair trial lawyer. He was named Environmental Litigation Attorney of the Year in Los Angeles by Best Lawyers in America, and one of 16 lawyers named as a Distinguished Environmental Advocate by the American Bar Association. He is one of seven lawyers in the U.S. designated as a Global Leader in Environmental Law by Who's Who Legal. The National Law Journal identifies him as a Trailblazer in Energy and Environmental Law, and he is named by Chambers, Legal 500, Lawdragon and Super Lawyers as one of the nation’s best environmental lawyers.
Mr. Hsiao is head of the West Coast Environmental, Health & Safety Practice, awarded Environmental Law Firm of the Year by Chambers and Partners in 2024. Drawing upon his chemical engineering background, he is one of the nation’s leading attorneys in environmental, natural resources, climate change and toxic tort law. He is a Fellow and former Chair of the Board of Regents of the American College of Environmental Lawyers. He is also former Chair of the State Bar of California's Environmental Law Section and a former member of the ABA's Standing Committee on Environmental Law.
He served as senior trial lawyer for the U.S. Department of Justice as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Los Angeles. He was lead trial counsel for the EPA and other agencies, and received the Department of Justice’s Special Commendation Award, the U.S. Attorney’s Office Special Achievement Award, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Golden Eagle Award. He was appointed as a judge pro tem for the Los Angeles Municipal Court and served as a mediator for environmental cases.
Mr. Hsiao is the editor of the California Environmental and Natural Resources Law Handbook. He is past-president of the Board of Directors for the Los Angeles County Bar Association's Counsel for Justice. He is a life fellow of the American Bar Foundation, former chair of the State Bar of California Committee on Legal Services to the Poor, and recipient of the Wiley W. Manuel Award for pro bono legal services.
He graduated magna cum laude with a B.S. in chemical engineering from the University of Utah in 1982. He received the Outstanding Student Award from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. He received a J.D. from the University of California at Berkeley in 1985, where he won the McBaine Advocacy Award.
J.D., University of California, Berkeley, School of Law
B.S. Chemical Engineering, University of Utah
California
Supreme Court of the United States
Fellow and Past Chair of the Board of Regents of the American College of Environmental Lawyers
Former Chair, ABA Marine Resources Committee
Former Chair, Environmental Law Section of the State Bar of California
Former Chair, State Bar of California Committee on Legal Services to the Poor
Former Member and Newsletter Author, American Institute of Chemical Engineers
Former Member, American Bar Association Standing Committee on Environmental Law
Former Member, American Chemical Society
Former President of Board of Directors, Los Angeles County Bar Association's Counsel for Justice
Former President, Board of Directors of the Los Angeles County Bar Association Counsel for Justice
Life Fellow, American Bar Foundation
Member, ABA Section on Environment, Energy and Resources
Member, Environmental Law Section, Los Angeles County Bar Association
June 12, 2024
King & Spalding Earns Top-Tier Rankings in Legal 500 United States 2024 Guide
June 6, 2024
King & Spalding Earns 198 Lawyer Rankings, 90 Practice Group Rankings in Chambers USA Guide
Successfully defended Mattel, Inc. before U.S. Supreme Court in case arising from contaminated property dispute in Beaverton, Oregon at site of former View Master facility.
Represented IMC Corporation in defending criminal action regarding alleged illegal take of migratory birds from exposure to process ponds. Negotiated settlement and first-ever wildlife mitigation plan with California Department of Fish and Game under Fish and Game Code Section 3007.
Represented Kano Laboratories in an enforcement action by the California Air Resources Board regarding emissive content and labeling of adhesive coatings.
See more
January 24, 2024
General Counsel’s Decision Tree for Internal Investigations for the Energy Industry
December 8, 2023
General Counsel’s Decision Tree for Internal Investigations for the Automotive Industry
October 31, 2023
California’s New Law To Prevent Greenwashing In Environmental Marketing For Voluntary Carbon Offsets
June 12, 2024
King & Spalding Earns Top-Tier Rankings in Legal 500 United States 2024 Guide
June 6, 2024
King & Spalding Earns 198 Lawyer Rankings, 90 Practice Group Rankings in Chambers USA Guide
Successfully defended Mattel, Inc. before U.S. Supreme Court in case arising from contaminated property dispute in Beaverton, Oregon at site of former View Master facility.
Represented IMC Corporation in defending criminal action regarding alleged illegal take of migratory birds from exposure to process ponds. Negotiated settlement and first-ever wildlife mitigation plan with California Department of Fish and Game under Fish and Game Code Section 3007.
Represented Kano Laboratories in an enforcement action by the California Air Resources Board regarding emissive content and labeling of adhesive coatings.
See more
January 24, 2024
General Counsel’s Decision Tree for Internal Investigations for the Energy Industry
December 8, 2023
General Counsel’s Decision Tree for Internal Investigations for the Automotive Industry
October 31, 2023
California’s New Law To Prevent Greenwashing In Environmental Marketing For Voluntary Carbon Offsets
June 12, 2024
King & Spalding Earns Top-Tier Rankings in Legal 500 United States 2024 Guide
June 6, 2024
King & Spalding Earns 198 Lawyer Rankings, 90 Practice Group Rankings in Chambers USA Guide
J.D., University of California, Berkeley, School of Law
B.S. Chemical Engineering, University of Utah
California
Supreme Court of the United States
Fellow and Past Chair of the Board of Regents of the American College of Environmental Lawyers
Former Chair, ABA Marine Resources Committee
Former Chair, Environmental Law Section of the State Bar of California
Former Chair, State Bar of California Committee on Legal Services to the Poor
Former Member and Newsletter Author, American Institute of Chemical Engineers
Former Member, American Bar Association Standing Committee on Environmental Law
Former Member, American Chemical Society
Former President of Board of Directors, Los Angeles County Bar Association's Counsel for Justice
Former President, Board of Directors of the Los Angeles County Bar Association Counsel for Justice
Life Fellow, American Bar Foundation
Member, ABA Section on Environment, Energy and Resources
Member, Environmental Law Section, Los Angeles County Bar Association