Mr. Goldman’s practice focuses on environmental litigation. He represents public and private clients in cases arising under the federal, state, and local environmental laws. Mr. Goldman has successfully represented clients in cost recovery and contribution actions and negotiated settlements in complex hazardous waste cleanup matters. He has also represented clients in commercial litigation as well as insurance defense matters. Mr. Goldman has represented individuals and businesses in state and federal courts in many diversified areas, including:

• Litigation relating to property damage claims and cleanup costs;
• Litigation relating to alleged contamination from underground storage tanks (“USTs”) and petroleum products;
• Citizen’s suit defense;
• CERCLA, RCRA and the Texas Solid Waste Disposal Act;
• Clean Water Act;
• Commercial litigation;
• Cost recovery/contribution actions;
• Defense of enforcement actions;
• Endangered Species Act;
• Insurance defense and coverage litigation;
• Nuisance litigation;
• Real estate and land use litigation; and
• Toxic torts.

A sampling of his experience includes:

Arbitrated a complex commercial litigation matter in Dallas, Texas in which clients received a total award of $3,675,924.70 including attorney’s fees;

Tried a breach of contract matter to a Dallas jury in the 101st Judicial District Court, Dallas County in which client received a favorable verdict in the amount of $617,009.95 including attorney’s fees;

Defended a large municipality in a citizen’s suit concerning multiple violations of the city’s storm water management plan.  The city was ultimately dismissed on summary judgment and the citizen’s group was denied its attorney’s fees;

Defended a former property owner in Harris County concerning alleged arsenic contamination which occurred over twenty years ago.  Worked in parallel with the TCEQ concerning clean-up obligations for the ultimate closure of the property;

Represented a property owner in Tarrant County whose property was contaminated by a neighboring property owner with Benzene and other hydrocarbons due to a leaking UST;

Defended a manufacturer in Grayson County concerning nuisance and related claims by adjacent property owners;

Defended a property contamination case in Yoakum County in which the property was contaminated by a leaking UST.  The TCEQ was a party in the lawsuit and was involved in the ultimate clean-up obligations.

Mr. Goldman received his law degree in 1999 from South Texas College of Law and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 1995. After law school, Mr. Goldman was a briefing attorney for Justice Bill Vance with the Tenth Court of Appeals of Texas. Mr. Goldman is admitted to the Bar in Texas and is also admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of Texas.

Mr. Goldman was listed as a Rising Star in 2010 by the Texas Super Lawyers. He is a Fellow of the Dallas Bar Foundation and is a member of the Dallas Bar Association (Environmental and Energy Law Sections), North Texas Association of Environmental Professionals, National Association of Environmental Professionals, and the Dallas Electric Club. Michael has served as Chair of the Ask-A-Lawyer Committee with the Dallas Young Lawyers Association and is Secretary of the North Texas Association of Environmental Professionals.