For more than 15 years, Allison McAdam has been representing clients on environmental contamination and insurance coverage matters. Specifically, Allison focuses on environmental and insurance coverage cases for businesses, including oil producers and refiners, industrial and retail dry cleaners, recyclers, paper, foundry and fireworks manufacturers, automotive manufacturers, and other industrial businesses. Allison also represents owners of contaminated properties and has experience litigating liability for many chemicals of concern, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), petroleum hydrocarbons, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), perchlorate, polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and lead. She has worked closely with environmental consultants, federal agencies (USEPA, US Coast Guard) state and local regulatory agencies (DTSC, OSPR, the State Water Board and Regional Water Boards), and insurers to facilitate investigation and cleanup of impacted properties. Recently, Allison presented a successful variance petition and hearing before the California Air Resources Board (CARB).

With regard to insurance coverage, Allison helps her clients obtain insurance coverage including navigating potential underlying claims alleging product liability and environmental damage and has succeeded in pursuing declaratory relief, breach of contract and bad faith actions on behalf of clients seeking to establish coverage for a variety of liabilities.

Allison serves as the Managing Partner of the Bay Area office. Allison is also an active member of the East Bay Chapter of Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW), the Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA), the Industrial Association of Contra Costa County (IACCC), the Contra Costa County Bar Association, the Alameda County Bar Association and the Bar Association of San Francisco.

  • Experience
    • Serving as General Counsel for Willits Environmental Remediation Trust which oversees a multi-million dollar environmental cleanup in Willits, California subject to a federal court-approved consent decree.
    • Representing numerous clients and providing strategic recommendations on environmental contamination litigation, including in the Lower Fox River/Green Bay Superfund Site in Wisconsin (PCBs), the Anniston PCB Site in Anniston, Alabama (PCBs and Lead) and the Rockets, Fireworks, and Flares Superfund Site in Rialto, California (Perchlorate and Trichloroethylene (TCE)). 
    • Handling complex, multi-party environmental and insurance coverage litigation, including various aspects of pre-trial preparation and discovery, substantive motions, mediation and appeals.
    • Litigating environmental cases for clients in industrial and retail dry cleaning, oil refining, paper manufacturing, recycling, automotive manufacturing, foundry and fireworks manufacturing industries. 
    • Working closely with environmental consultants, state and local regulatory agencies and insurers to facilitate investigation and cleanup of impacted properties.
    • Obtaining insurance defense and coverage for clients facing potential underlying claims alleging product liability, environmental damage and other types of liability.
    • Successfully pursuing declaratory relief, breach of contract and bad faith actions on behalf of clients seeking to establish coverage for a variety of liabilities
  • Professional Affiliations

    American Bar Association

    Contra Costa County Bar Association

    East Bay CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women)

    Industrial Association of Contra Costa County

    San Francisco Bar Association

    State Bar of California

    Western States Petroleum Association

  • Awards & Honors
    Super Lawyers
    Rising Star, 2009, 2010, 2012-2017
  • Bar & Court Admissions
    California State Bar
    U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
    U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
    U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
    U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin
    U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California
    U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
    U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California
    U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
  • Government Service

    City and County of San Francisco

    Litigation Section, 2001

  • News & Presentations
  • Thought Leadership

Education

University of California, Hastings College of the Law J.D., 2003

University of California at Berkeley B.A., 1998