Pamela
Esterman
Principal
Pamela
Esterman
Principal
For over 40 years, Pamela has assisted clients in managing environmental problems. Her diverse environmental experience includes representing clients at Superfund sites throughout the United States at every stage of the CERCLA process, litigating complex multi-party CERCLA claims both in court and in mediated allocation proceedings, negotiating with federal and state regulatory agencies concerning the substance and scope of cleanup activities, representing project sponsors in obtaining permits for residential and industrial development projects, assisting clients with corporate and real estate due diligence investigations, environmental audits, and brownfields site redevelopment. She also regularly advises clients concerning matters of ethics and professional conduct.
Pamela has served as a mediator, arbitrator, allocator, or special master in a variety of environmental and commercial matters. She combines her knowledge of environmental law with her experience as a neutral. She serves on the roster of neutrals for the United States District Court, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, the Supreme Court of New York, Commercial Division, the Appellate Division, 2nd Department, and the District of New Jersey. Pamela has successfully mediated hundreds of disputes, including environmental, land use, FLSA, ADA, real property, contracts, insurance coverage, construction defects and delays, professional malpractice, commercial transactions, personal injury, employment discrimination, civil rights, wrongful death, Legionella, and toxic tort claims.
Since 1997, Pamela has served as planning chair for the annual American Law Institute Environmental Law Conference in Washington, D.C, the longest-running environmental conference in the country. She writes and lectures frequently on environmental law, ethics, and alternative dispute resolution topics. Pamela currently serves as an adjunct professor at Hofstra Law School, where she teaches Environmental Law, and at Rutgers Law School (Newark), where she teaches Alternative Dispute Resolution.
Representative Experience:
- Currently serving as a neutral allocator in a CERCLA/MTCA matter involving multiple parties at a site in Washington
- Represented Fortune 500 companies in the chemical and manufacturing industries at CERCLA/Superfund sites nationwide.
- Represented the defendant manufacturer in a toxic tort litigation involving the alleged discharge of heavy metals.
- Served as Common Counsel for multiple potentially responsible parties at a number of CERCLA/Superfund sites.
- Advised the purchaser of a waste transport business regarding the acquisition of waste transfer facilities throughout the Northeast.
- Assisted a private land developer with various permitting issues concerning a multi-use large-scale redevelopment project.
- Assisted in successfully permitting an 80 MW electric power co-generation facility.
- Represented the developer in permitting a hazardous waste landfill project.
- Assisted in environmental impact analysis and permitting of multiple high-rise towers in New York City.
- Successfully mediated several complex cost allocations.
- Successfully mediated multiple oil spill cases involving personal injury and property damage claims.
- Successfully mediated numerous Fair Labor Standards Act claims, including collective actions.
- Successfully mediated numerous contract disputes
- Successfully mediated several Legionella cases.
- Successfully mediated a multi-party benzene toxic tort case.
- Successfully mediated numerous employment discrimination matters.
- Successfully mediated several law firm fee disputes
- Successfully mediated numerous cases brought under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
- Successfully mediated numerous construction defect and/or delay cases.
- Successfully mediated over 50 AAA Superstorm Sandy insurance coverage cases.
- Arbitrated a multi-million construction defect/construction delay claim.
- Served as the “at-large trustee” for the Anadarko Litigation Trust in the $5.15 Billion settlement of the Tronox, Inc. bankruptcy proceeding.
“2025 Ethics and the Profession Committee Report”
For: ABA SEER The Year in Review 2025
“50 Shades of Gray: Ethical Dilemmas in Environmental Practice”
For: ABA SEER Spring Conference
“Ethics and Environmental Law: Professional Responsibilities in a Changing Legal Landscape”
For: The American Law Institute, Environmental Law 2026
“Special Committee on Ethics and the Profession Report”
For: ABA Year in Review
“The Ethics of Using Generative AI In Environmental Law”
For: Law360
“Ethics for Environmental Lawyers”
For: Dallas, Texas Bar Association
Environmental Law Conference, Presenter
For: Annual Speaker (focus on ethics for environmental lawyers), ALI CLE
Ethics for Judges of the Jeffrey Miller Moot Court Competition, Annual Speaker
For: Pace Law School
Clean Water Act Conference, Annual Speaker
For: Annual Speaker (addressing water lawyers), ALI CLE
“Ethical Considerations for Environmental Lawyers”
For: ALI CLE
“Ethical Considerations in Administrative Law”
For: ABA SEER
“Ethical Issues in the Context of Administrative Adjudications”
For: ABA SEER
“The Lawyer’s Role in an Environmental Crisis”
For: ALICLE, Moderator
“Disclosure Exposure: Exploring GHG Disclosure and Attorney Ethics Rules,” Presenter
For: Environmental Law Institute (International webinar)
“Cybersecurity Considerations for Environmental and Energy Lawyers Working Remotely in the Wake of the Coronavirus”
For: ABA SEER
“Legal Ethics in the Environmental Law Context”
For: The Practical Real Estate Lawyer
“Ethical Issues in Environmental Law”
For: ALI-ABA
Annual Environmental Law Course, Co-Chair and Panelist
For: Co-chair and panelist, American Law Institute-American Bar Association
“Legal Ethics in the Environmental Law Context”
For: The Practical Real Estate Lawyer
Article Title: Ethical Considerations for the Environmental Lawyer
“Ethical Considerations for Environmental Lawyers Considering Transitions,” Presenter
For: ABA SEER
“Working with Other Professionals and Their Codes of Professionalism”
For: Ethics and Environmental Practice, A Lawyer’s Guide, co-author (ABA)
“Annual ABA Conference on Environmental Law,” Co-Planning Chair & Moderator
For: Co-planning Chair and Moderator
“Recovery and Rebuilding After Superstorm Sandy: Legal Changes Required to Implement the NYS 2100 Comm. Policy Recommendations”
“Environmental Law Practitioners Guide to the Model Rules”
For: ABA NR& E
“Ethics for Land Use Lawyers,” Speaker
For: Speaker, Pace Law School
“Climate Change Adaptation: Fostering Progress Through Law and Regulation”
For: New York University Environmental Law Journal, Vol. 18
“The Benefits of Alternative Dispute Resolution in Resolving Municipal Disputes”
For: NYSBA
“The Benefits of Alternative Dispute Resolution in Resolving Municipal Disputes”
For: 27 Pace Environmental Law Review, Vol. 61
“The Resolution of Environmental Interest Disputes”
For: Panelist, ABA Dispute Resolution Section Annual Meeting
“Changing Times-Changing Practice: Effective Legal Strategies to Resolve New Environmental Disputes,”Co-planning Chair & Moderator
For: Co-planning Chair and Moderator, Pace Law School
“Annual Conference on Environmental Law,” Moderator
For: Moderator, Ethics Panel
“The Resolution of Environmental Interest Disputes,” Co-Chair
For: Co-Chair, City Bar Association
“Women in Negotiation,” Co-Chair
For: Co-chair, City Bar Association
“Legal Ethics in New York”
For: Lorman
“Ethics in Mediation and Settlement Negotiation,” Co-Chair
For: Co-Chair, City Bar Association
“New Solutions to Environmental Problems in Business and Real Estate Deals”
For: Panelist, Practicing Law Institute
“Real Estate and the Environment: NY’s New Brownfields Law”
For: Panelist, NYSBA
Using Alternative Dispute Resolution in Land Use Conflicts
For: City Bar, Presenter
“Ethical Issues Confronting Environmental Lawyers in Business and Real Estate Transactions”
For: PLI
“Reporting Obligations and Ethical Issues Confronting Environmental Lawyers”
For: PLI
“Reporting Obligations and Ethical Issues Confronting Environmental Lawyers”
For: Practicing Law Institute
“The Use of Alternative Dispute Resolution in Land Use Cases”
For: Presenter, The Center for American and International Law
“The Use of Alternative Dispute Resolution in Land Use Cases”
For: The Center for American and International Law
“Legal Ethics in the Environmental Law Context”
For: PLI
“Ethical Issues in Environmental and Land Use Matters”
For: The American Law Institute and the American Bar Association
“Administrative Agency Relationships in New York Environmental Law and Regulations”
For: Book Chapter, Co-authored by West and Supplements
“Retail Property Development: Current Trends and Practice”
For: Panelist, Practicing Law Institute
“The Role of Mediation in Local Land Use Disputes”
For: The New York State Association of Towns Annual Meeting, Presenter
“Managing Environmental Issues in Property Acquisitions”
For: The Practical Real Estate Lawyer, Vol. 15 and Practicing Law Institute
“The Use of Alternative Dispute Resolution in Environmental Cases,” Chair & Presenter
For: City Bar, Chair and Presenter
“‘Fold or Fight’ the Changing Settlement Calculus in CERCLA Enforcement Actions”
For: Vol. lX Fordham 469
Book Chapter 11-C: “Alternative Dispute Resolution”
For: Environmental Law Practice Guide; Co-Author: Matthew Bender
“Hazardous Waste in New York Environmental Law and Regulations”
Syracuse University College of Law, J.D., 1983
State University of New York, M.S., 1983
University of New Hampshire, B.S., 1979
New York
New Jersey
Adjunct Professor of Law, Rutgers Law School, ADR, 2020-present
Adjunct Professor of Law, Hofstra Law School, Environmental Law, 2017- present
Acting Village Justice, Village of Ocean Beach, 2006-present
Chair, Ethics Committee, Village of Ocean Beach, NY, 2005-present
Certified court mediator, EDNY, SDNY, Commercial Division (New York, Nassau, Queens, Westchester Counties), District of New Jersey, 1989-present
Special master, NYS Appellate Division, Second Dept, 2024-present
Co-planning Chair, Annual ALI Environmental Law Conference, 1997-present
American Bar Association, Section on Environment, Energy, and Resources, Council Member, 2019-2023; Ethics Chair, 2024-present
Member, NYSBA Climate Change Initiative Task Force, 2015-2017
NYSBA Dispute Resolution Committee, Chair, ADR in Government Committee, 2012-2014
Adjunct Professor, Elizabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, 2009-10
City Bar, Environmental Law Committee, 2008-2011; Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee, 2003-2008
Former Co-Chair of Advisory Board, Kheel Center for the Resolution of Environmental Disputes
AAA Mediator, Post-Sandy Mediations