Practice Focus
Environmental, Litigation, Media Law

Biography
Sigmund D. Schutz practices environmental law and civil litigation with a focus on environmental litigation and toxic torts, environmental transactions and brownfields, environmental enforcement by state and federal regulators, construction, and complex business disputes. Sig is also a media law expert. He represents newsgathering organizations on First Amendment matters, libel and privacy law, state and federal sunshine laws, newsgathering and related matters. He is listed in Best Lawyers in America for his First Amendment law practice.

Representative Matters

Environmental

• Defend state and federal enforcement actions.
• Counsel to responsible parties in connection with environmental clean-up and reimbursement obligations.
• Resolve property damage claims against municipality for residential and commercial landowners located on top of former municipal landfill.
• Represent lakefront property owners in litigation arising from 5600 gallon No. 6 oil spill into Maine lake.

Litigation

• Defend environmental consulting firm in federal court jury trial against a manufacturing company claiming that faulty environmental site assessment missed hazardous waste discharges.
• Defend paper company in multi-plaintiff toxic tort lawsuit involving alleged brain cancer cluster.
• Pursue securities fraud arbitration in Washington, D.C. on behalf of Kingspan Group plc in connection with 100% stock purchase of Maryland manufacturer;  obtained arbitration award of $40 million. 
• Represent investors in securities arbitration in Boston, MA against Morgan Stanley DW, Inc.;  obtained award of $419,000.
• Counsel to beneficiaries and executors/personal representatives in probate litigation related to mishandling of assets, excessive fees, and other matters.
• Represent owners and contractors in construction litigation and arbitration.

Media

• Secured summary judgment in favor of eight media organizations against claims of libel, invasion of privacy and violation of civil rights in federal court arising from reporting on alleged unlawful confiscation of firearms from individual’s home.
• Acquired access to state and federal public records for media organizations, including after trial and appeal.
• Pre-publication review of daily newspaper articles, features, and broadcasts for news organizations. 
• Won dismissal of claims against New York Times reporter accused of defamation by celebrity chef.

Admissions

• Maine; New Hampshire; New York; United States District Court for the Districts of Maine and New Hampshire; United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.

Publications

• Jonathan S. Piper & Sigmund D. Schutz, Maine’s Freedom of Access Act, in OPEN GOVERNMENT GUIDE (Reporters Committee for the Freedom of the Press) (5th ed. 2006).
• Daniel Rapaport, Kurt Olafsen, Sigmund D. Schutz, & Jonathan Mermin, Tort Killer: Applying the Economic Loss Doctrine to Service Contracts, 20 Me.B.J. 100 (2005).
• Sigmund D. Schutz, Time to Reconsider Nullum Tempus Occurrit Regi – The Applicability of Statutes of Limitations Against the State of Maine in Civil Actions, 55 ME.L.REV. 373 (2003).
• Sigmund D. Schutz, Freedom of Access Law: It’s Not Easy Keeping Secrets, 14 Me.B.J. 138 (1999).
• Jonathan S. Piper & Sigmund D. Schutz, Maine Libel Law, in MEDIA LIBEL LAW, (Media Law Resource Center) (annually, 1998 – Present).

Civic Involvement

• Chair of the Board of Directors of the Southern Maine Chapter of the American Red Cross (2004-2006).
• Clerk of the Maine Freedom of Information Coalition (www.mfoic.org) (2003-Present).
• Member of the Environmental Technology Board of the Maine Technology Institute (www.mainetechnology.org) (2000-2006).
• Member of the Maine, New Hampshire, New York and American Bar Associations.

Education
J.D., Cornell Law School, 1997
B.A., Colby College, 1994 (Cum Laude)