Practice Focus
Environmental, Litigation, Media Law
Biography
Sigmund D. Schutz practices environmental law
and civil litigation with a focus on environmental litigation and toxic torts,
environmental transactions and brownfields, environmental enforcement by state
and federal regulators, construction, and complex business disputes. Sig also
concentrates his practice in media law and represents newsgathering
organizations on First Amendment matters, libel and privacy law, state and
federal sunshine laws, newsgathering and related matters. He is listed in
Best Lawyers in America for his First Amendment law practice.
Representative Matters
Environmental
- Defend state and federal environmental enforcement actions.
- Counsel responsible parties in connection with environmental clean-up and
reimbursement obligations.
- Resolve property damage claims against municipality for residential and
commercial landowners located on top of former municipal landfill.
- Represent lakefront property owners in claims arising from 5600
gallon No. 6 oil spill into Maine lake.
- Prepare successful sole source aquifer petition under the Clean Water
Act.
Litigation
- Defend environmental consulting firm in federal court jury trial against a
manufacturing company claiming that faulty environmental site assessment missed
hazardous waste discharges.
- Defend paper company in multi-plaintiff toxic tort lawsuit involving alleged
brain cancer cluster.
- Prosecute securities fraud arbitration in Washington, D.C. on behalf of
Kingspan Group plc in connection with 100% stock purchase of Maryland
manufacturer; obtain arbitration award of $40 million.
- Represent investors in securities arbitration in Boston, MA against Morgan
Stanley DW, Inc.; obtained award of $419,000.
- Counsel to beneficiaries and executors/personal representatives in probate
litigation related to mishandling of assets, excessive fees, and other
matters.
- Represent owners and contractors in construction litigation and
arbitration.
Media
- Secured summary judgment in favor of eight media organizations against
claims of libel, invasion of privacy and violation of civil rights in federal
court arising from reporting on alleged unlawful confiscation of firearms from
individual’s home.
- Acquired access to state and federal public records for media organizations,
including after trial and appeal.
- Pre-publication review of daily newspaper articles, features, and broadcasts
for news organizations.
- Won dismissal of claims against New York Times reporter accused of
defamation by celebrity chef.
Admissions
- Maine; New Hampshire; New York; United States District Court for the
Districts of Maine and New Hampshire; United States Court of Appeals for the
First Circuit; United States Supreme Court.
Publications
- Jonathan S. Piper & Sigmund D. Schutz, Maine’s Freedom of Access
Act, in OPEN GOVERNMENT GUIDE (Reporters Committee for the Freedom of the
Press) (5th ed. 2006).
- Daniel Rapaport, Kurt Olafsen, Sigmund D. Schutz, & Jonathan Mermin,
Tort Killer: Applying the Economic Loss Doctrine to Service Contracts, 20
Me.B.J. 100 (2005).
- Sigmund D. Schutz, Time to Reconsider Nullum Tempus Occurrit Regi – The
Applicability of Statutes of Limitations Against the State of Maine in Civil
Actions, 55 ME.L.REV. 373 (2003).
- Sigmund D. Schutz, Freedom of Access Law: It’s Not Easy Keeping Secrets, 14
Me.B.J. 138 (1999).
- Jonathan S. Piper & Sigmund D. Schutz, Maine Libel Law, in MEDIA
LIBEL LAW, (Media Law Resource Center) (annually, 1998 – Present).
Civic Involvement
- Member of the Board of PCA Great Performances (2008 - Present).
- Chair of the Board of Directors of the Southern Maine Chapter of the
American Red Cross (2004-2006).
- Clerk of the Maine Freedom of Information Coalition (www.mfoic.org) (2003-Present).
- Member of the Environmental Technology Board of the Maine Technology
Institute (www.mainetechnology.org)
(2000-2006).
- Member of the Maine, New Hampshire, New York and American Bar
Associations.
Education
J.D., Cornell Law School, 1997
B.A., Colby College, 1994 (Cum Laude)
