Meaghan Boyd is a senior associate in the Environmental & Land Development Group. Her practice focuses on complex environmental and toxic tort litigation. Meaghan has significant experience counseling clients on many federal environmental statutes, including CERCLA and RCRA, and their state counterparts, as well as hazardous materials transportation regulations. Meaghan was named a Georgia Super Lawyers “Rising Star” in environmental litigation for 2012 and 2013.
Meaghan currently co-chairs the Environmental Litigation Committee of the ABA Section of Litigation and previously co-chaired the Young Lawyers’, CERCLA, and CLE Subcommittees. In 2010, she was named "Outstanding Subcommittee Chair."
Meaghan sits on the board of Lukas’ Fund, a non-profit that supports the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta. She also assists senior citizens with wills through the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers' Foundation.
Meaghan received her J.D., cum laude, from the University of Georgia in 2005. In law school, she was the president of the Environmental Law Association, a member of Moot Court, and was published in the Journal of Intellectual Property Law. She received her B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of Georgia in 2001 and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa
- Defending privately-held fabric finishing company in multiple toxic tort suits and Clean Water Act citizen suit arising out of largest fish kill in state history.
- Defending multiple clients in cost recovery and contribution litigation at a CERCLA site involving PCB contamination. Also represents clients in connection with EPA civil enforcement action at the same site.
- Defending petroleum storage companies against personal injury and property damage claims arising from alleged benzene exposure.
- Counsel to former fabric and fiber manufacturing company in connection with remediation of landfill pursuant to Georgia’s Hazardous Sites Response Act.
- Member of defense team that won summary judgment on Atlantic Research grounds in a CERCLA cost recovery suit involving past and future cleanup costs exceeding $300 million.
- Member of a defense team for a Fortune 500 company in a putative class action seeking damages for over 13,000 claimants from alleged releases of lead and other pollutants from former foundry operations in Anniston, Alabama. The litigation was resolved by a class-wide settlement for less than pre-trial defense costs.
- Represented a national building products company in mass tort litigation involving 19 lawsuits and more than 1,300 plaintiffs alleging personal injuries caused by air and surface water emissions from former wood treatment operations. The chemicals of concern included dioxin, arsenic, creosote and chromium, which allegedly resulted in cancers, birth defects and other diseases. All claims were successfully settled in a two-day mediation following close of fact discovery in the first four lawsuits.
- Represented a non-profit waste reduction and community beautification organization in litigation arising out of a revised solid waste hauling program in the fastest growing county in Georgia. The litigation involved five separate lawsuits in state and federal court, which were successfully settled after pre-discovery mediation.
- Represented a leading producer of residential, industrial, commercial and utility wire and cable in the mediation of an environmental remediation contract dispute.
- Counseled the country’s largest producer of aggregate building materials in litigation against a county board of commissioners alleging unconstitutional, illegal and ultra vires denial of requested zoning and special use permits.
- Counseled client through FAA Notice of Violation that company received after package that had been shipped from its facility was found leaking at an air freight facility. FAA agreed to drop the NOV altogether following meetings with civil investigators and legal staff to show that client had no involvement or awareness of unauthorized shipment.
- Assisted client in negotiations with FAA related to a package containing hazardous materials that was accepted for transportation at retail store location and was found damaged and leaking at an air freight facility. Successfully negotiated the proposed penalty down by approximately 40%. We also assisted the client with revisions to its in-store package acceptance guidelines.
- Advised client on potential liability for packages that did not comply with hazardous materials regulations, including packaging and marking requirements. Our analysis included review of past penalty and enforcement cases involving similar allegations to advise client of potential risk.
- Advised several clients on the Hazardous Materials Regulations and their applicability and scope, including packaging and labeling requirements, limited quantity and consumer commodity exceptions, and international/EU hazardous materials (dangerous goods) requirements.
- Represented a national building products company in a warranty action arising out of an allegedly defective product. Successfully settled all claims shortly after filing a motion for summary judgment in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia.
- Counseled a Fortune 50 client in litigation involving alleged product failure and associated property damage and negligence claims.
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Alston & Bird recently helped its clients U.S. Pipe & Foundry Co. and Walter Energy defend their March 2012 appellate victory in Solutia, Inc., et al. v. McWane, Inc., et al., 672 F.3d 1230 (11th Cir. 2012) from potential review by the United States Supreme Court.
December 10, 2012
In the Press
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Meaghan Boyd has been appointed co-chair of the Environmental Litigation Committee for 2012-2013 by the ABA Section of Litigation. The Section of Litigation is the largest section in the ABA and currently has approximately 60,000 members.
August 17, 2012
In the Press
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March 15, 2012
In the Press
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April 2009
Publications
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February 5, 2009
Advisories
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August 8, 2008
Advisories
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March 18, 2008
Publications
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“Federal Regulation of Hazardous Materials Transportation” Natural Resources & Environment, Vol. 21, No. 2, Fall 2006.
Fall 2006