Partner, Washington DC
1900 K Street NW
Washington, DC 20006-1108

TEL: 202.496.7573
FAX: 202.496.7756
EMAIL: tazorsky@mckennalong.com

PROFILE

Tami Azorsky is Co-Chairperson of the Litigation Department and a recognized expert in product liability, occupational and environmental exposure, and environmental litigation.  Tami represents regulated businesses and government contractors in trials and appeals of class actions, mass torts, and environmental matters.  Tami recently succeeded in defeating class certification in a case filed by current and former workers alleging silica exposure during the drilling of tunnels at Yucca Mountain, the nation’s proposed repository for spent nuclear fuel.  She was lead trial counsel for a former Department of Energy contractor in one of the first and most complex cases filed by a state seeking damages for harm to natural resources under state and federal law.  New Mexico v. General Electric Co., et al., 467 F.3d 1223 (10^th Cir. 2006).  She has brought successful contribution claims against the government for recovery of environmental remediation costs for several major corporations. 

Tami is skilled at bringing together the mix of statutory, regulatory and constitutional law that provides a unique pre-trial defense for her clients.  She is equally adept at developing the complex expert testimony necessary to prevail in personal injury, property damage, and environmental litigation, at debunking the opposition’s experts, and at developing and presenting complex scientific and factual situations to judges and lay juries.  Often her clients are facing political or media focus, as well as the plaintiffs.  Tami works with her clients to prepare a coordinated defense that addresses the court, the regulators, and the public and political interests. 

Tami’s environmental practice includes existing and emerging issues.  She frequently defends companies facing personal injury, property damage and natural resource damage claims arising out of distribution of products or contamination of air or ground and surface water by a wide variety of industry chemicals, including PCBs, TCE, mercury, arsenic, chromium, perchlorate, and radioactive materials.  In addition to litigating, Tami counsels government contractors attempting to comply with environmental regulations.  More than 20 years of experience has provided Tami with the skills to advise corporate executives on navigating often contradictory government contract and environmental requirements.  Tami also counsels clients on best practices to satisfy government customers or regulators in a way that avoids the situations that may lead to litigation.

Tami also represents her regulated clients in cases involving constitutional, statutory and regulatory issues in federal courts and before administrative agencies.  She is a skilled general civil litigator as well, representing clients in disputes over stock and asset purchase agreements, real estate contracts, misappropriation of trade secrets, and employee relations.

In additional to leading the Litigation Department, Tami serves on the firm’s Board of Directors and is Chairperson of the firm’s Diversity Committee.  She is a mentor for attorneys at the firm and for law students through the Georgetown University Women of Color Collective.