For decades, Locks Law Firm has stood at the crossroads of mass harm and legal remedy, championing the rights of individuals and communities against powerful corporate interests. This legal expertise in large complex cases and interest in protecting communities have led Locks Law to represent both large groups of individuals and governmental entities in environmental litigation.
On November 7, 2017, New Jersey voters passed a constitutional amendment mandating that all natural resource damage (NRD) recoveries be used exclusively to repair, restore, replace, or preserve natural resources. Natural Resource Damages represent the monetary compensation owed for harm to, loss of, or destruction of natural resources resulting from hazardous substances being discharged or released into the environment. Natural resources encompass land, fish, shellfish, wildlife, biota, air, water, and all related resources that are owned, managed, held in trust, or otherwise under the jurisdiction of the State.
NRD cases have been ongoing for decades, with one of the better-known being the Exxon Valdez spill in 1989. The impact of this abuse spans generations with lasting and sometimes permanent ramifications.
New Jersey is one of the most active NRD battlegrounds in the country, given the state’s dense industrial history and rich natural heritage. Locks has completed work on numerous cases and is still litigating others. This work supports our firm’s mission of helping communities and impacting long-lasting change.
Environmental cases are not simple cases. They involve historical records, scientific experts, and defendants with formidable legal resources. Locks Law’s ability to navigate this terrain reflects the same capabilities honed in decades of mass tort work: rigorous preparation, disciplined case strategy, and an unwavering commitment to the communities bearing the real-world cost of corporate negligence.
At Locks Law, we are also looking forward because corporate harm does not stand still. New industries create new vectors for injury, from the long-tail consequences of emerging chemical compounds to the environmental footprints of new energy technologies. The playbook that corporations use to externalize costs onto individuals and communities evolves, and so does Locks Law’s approach to countering it.
The firm is not simply applying yesterday’s tools to today’s cases. Locks Law is actively studying the evolution of corporate conduct, anticipating tomorrow’s litigation, and building the frameworks now that will protect communities when the next wave of harm becomes visible.
Locks Law understands that the legal system is one of the most powerful tools communities have against well-resourced wrongdoers, but only when wielded with sophistication, experience, and resolve.
