Wiley Rein Adds Prominent Attorneys to its Environment & Safety and Consumer Product Regulation Practices

February 1, 2017

Washington, DC—Wiley Rein LLP welcomes Martha E. Marrapese as partner, and Keith A. Matthews as of counsel, to the firm’s prominent Environment & Safety and Consumer Product Regulation practices. The team will advise clients regarding specially regulated products in industries including chemical and plastics, biotechnology, nanotechnology, food, pharmaceutical, pesticides, electronics, and batteries.

Supply chain pressures and increasing scrutiny from consumers—as well as existing government regulation—have created demand for firms that can bring a multidisciplinary approach to cutting-edge issues at every phase of the life cycle of a product. Ms. Marrapese and Mr. Matthews will expand Wiley Rein’s environmental and consumer product capabilities, and increase the firm’s capabilities across its Health Care, Intellectual Property, Government Contracts, and Corporate teams, as well as its Food, Drug, and Medical Device Law Practice.

“Diversifying our Environment & Safety and Consumer Product Regulation practices to meet the emerging needs of our clients is a key part of our strategic plan,” said Managing Partner Peter D. Shields. “We are delighted to attract this talented team. Martha and Keith bring significant, high-level experience in environmental law and policy and the ability to serve clients in a broad range of industries.”

Ms. Marrapese is an internationally recognized environmental law leader in emerging technologies in the industrial chemicals, alternative energy, antimicrobial pesticides, nanotechnology, plastic recycling, and food sectors. She is a recognized authority on chemical regulation and premanufacture approval under the evolving Toxic Substances Control Act. Ms. Marrapese has more than 25 years of extensive experience providing counsel related to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and associated regulatory needs for bio-based products and related production platforms including yeast, algae, bacteria, and plants. She served as U.S. Delegate to the International Standards Organization’s (ISO) Committee on Nanotechnologies from 2005 to 2013, and chaired the Working Group 1, Terminology and Nomenclature, of the U.S. Technical Advisory Group (TAG). She serves as co-chair of the Special Committee on Congressional Relations for the American Bar Association (ABA), and is immediate past chair of the Pesticides, Chemical Regulation, and Right-to-Know Committee (PCRRTK) of the ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources (SEER). Ms. Marrapese also is a board member and executive committee member of the Environmental Law Institute.

Mr. Matthews has 20 years of private-sector and government experience in environmental and chemicals regulation law. His practice focuses on the regulation of biotechnology products by EPA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). He is a former director of the Biopesticides and Pollution Prevention Division (BPPD) in EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs, and worked for many years in EPA’s Office of General Counsel. As director of BPPD, he was responsible for all activities related to the federal regulatory program for biochemical and microbial pesticides, genetically engineered pesticidal organisms, and pesticides produced by genetically engineered plants. Mr. Matthews also serves as chair of the PCRRTK for ABA’s SEER.

“Both Martha and Keith have built impressively wide-ranging and sophisticated environment and product regulatory practices, representing both domestic and global companies in some of the most complicated matters and emerging issues,” said David B. Weinberg, co-chair of the firm’s Environment & Safety Practice. “As the consumer product regulation concerns of our clients continue to grow, especially in emerging technologies, Martha’s and Keith’s experience and understanding of the most significant and timely issues will be enormously valuable. We welcome both of them to the practices and look forward to their contributions.”

Wiley Rein’s Environment & Safety and Consumer Product Regulation practices are recognized leaders in handling product regulatory matters, and represent businesses and trade associations at both the federal and state levels and in international forums.