Phil Washburn is an associate in the New York office of Gibson Dunn. He practices in the firm’s Litigation Department and is a member of the Environmental Practice Group. His practice covers environmental and mass tort litigation, environmental regulatory counseling, and the environmental aspects of mergers, acquisitions, and other corporate transactions.
Phil represents energy, aerospace and defense, and manufacturing companies in climate change litigation, toxic tort and mass tort actions, the multidistrict litigation over aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF), Clean Air Act citizen suits, and cost recovery actions under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). He also counsels clients on Clean Air Act permitting and compliance, state and federal enforcement, hazardous waste management, spill response and corrective action, state and federal requirements for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and internal investigations of environmental, health, and safety issues.
In transactions, Phil conducts environmental due diligence and negotiates environmental provisions in acquisition agreements for strategic buyers, private equity sponsors, sellers, and lenders, with an emphasis on energy and infrastructure assets. He has advised on public company mergers, private equity acquisitions and divestitures, corporate carve-outs and spin-offs, and underwriting diligence for representations and warranties insurers, involving targets that include natural gas gathering and processing systems, power generation and energy services businesses, clean energy technology companies, and industrial manufacturers.
Phil earned his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Michigan Law School in 2021 and his B.A., with distinction, in Peace, War & Defense and Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2018.
Phil is admitted to practice in New York and the District of Columbia.
Capabilities
- Environmental
- Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice
- Aerospace and Defense
- Data Centers and Digital Infrastructure
- ESG: Risk, Litigation, and Reporting
- Litigation
- Mass Torts and Product Liability
- Mergers and Acquisitions
Credentials
Education:
- University of Michigan - 2021 Juris Doctor
- University of North Carolina - 2018 Bachelor of Arts
Admissions:
- District of Columbia Bar
- New York Bar