/EINPresswire.com/ -- SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwired - March 20, 2017) - Nicholas W. van Aelstyn has joined the San Francisco office of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP as a partner in the firm's Real Estate, Land Use and Environmental practice group. Van Aelstyn joins from Beveridge & Diamond, where he co-chaired the Climate Change and the Environmental practice groups.

Van Aelstyn has more than 25 years of environmental counseling and litigation experience. His environmental counseling practice focuses on climate change, renewable energy development, sustainability, Brownfields redevelopment, regulatory and transactional matters.

Van Aelstyn's environmental litigation practice focuses on cost recovery actions, regulatory enforcement actions, challenges to regulations, and representation of PRPs and PRP groups (as common counsel) at Superfund sites. He has particular expertise with CERCLA sediment sites. His litigation experience also encompasses intellectual property, commercial, real estate, and appellate litigation matters. Van Aelstyn has handled matters in state and federal courts across the country, including the U.S. Supreme Court, as well as various administrative fora.

"We enthusiastically welcome Nico to the firm. He is a top-tier environmental attorney. Nico's background and experience is an excellent fit for us, in the Bay Area and firmwide," said Guy N. Halgren, chairman of Sheppard Mullin.

"I am excited to join Sheppard Mullin, a full-service firm that can service my clients' needs beyond environmental matters. I have been very impressed by the firm's climate change capabilities, as well as the firm's strategic growth and successful expansion," commented van Aelstyn.

"Nico has handled nearly every aspect of environmental law and is highly regarded in this practice specialty. His expertise focuses on Superfund matters involving large, complex sediment sites, which dovetails well with our existing practice and expands our environmental bench," stated S. Keith Garner, co-chair of Sheppard Mullin's Real Estate, Land Use and Environmental practice group.

Van Aelstyn received a J.D., Order of the Coif, in 1990 from University of Oregon School of Law and a B.A. in 1986 from Williams College. He clerked with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

Sheppard Mullin has 96 attorneys based in its San Francisco office. The firm's Real Estate, Land Use and Environmental practice group includes 83 attorneys firmwide.

About Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP

Sheppard Mullin is a full service Global 100 firm with 780 attorneys in 15 offices located in the United States, Europe and Asia. Since 1927, companies have turned to Sheppard Mullin to handle corporate and technology matters, high stakes litigation and complex financial transactions. In the U.S., the firm's clients include more than half of the Fortune 100. For more information, please visit www.sheppardmullin.com.