Steven C. Russo

Steven C. Russo is an attorney who chairs Greenberg Traurig LLP’s New York Environmental Practice. He has practiced environmental law and litigation for over twenty-five years and focuses his practice on litigation, environmental permitting, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) review, toxic tort litigation, environmental crimes, Brownfields redevelopment, government, energy and the environmental aspects of land use and real estate law. Steven is equally experienced litigating in federal and state courts, as well as counseling his clients with regard to environmental liability risk and due diligence, permitting, Brownfields, and impact assessment and review. He also practices election and campaign finance law and has served as election law counsel to a number of New York State and federal campaigns.

Prior to joining the firm, Steven was the Deputy Commissioner and General Counsel of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. There, he supervised approximately 90 attorneys in Albany as well as the agency’s nine regional offices. He also supervised the agency’s legislative affairs department and Office of Environmental Justice. At the agency, Steven initiated a reform of the state’s environmental review regulations and assessment forms, completed the issuance of new power plant siting regulations pertaining to environmental justice and carbon emissions and revised the agency’s environmental audit policy.