Tami Lyn Azorsky
FAX: 202.496.7756
Experience
Tami Azorsky is Chairperson of the Litigation Department and a recognized expert in product liability, occupational and environmental exposure, and environmental litigation. Ms. Azorsky represents regulated businesses and government contractors in trials and appeals of class actions, mass torts, and environmental matters. Ms. Azorsky 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 (10th Cir. 2006). She has brought successful contribution claims against the government for recovery of environmental remediation costs for several major corporations.
Ms. Azorsky 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. Ms. Azorsky works with her clients to prepare a coordinated defense that addresses the court, the regulators, and the public and political interests.
Her 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, Ms. Azorsky counsels government contractors attempting to comply with environmental regulations. More than 20 years of experience has provided Ms. Azorsky with the skills to advise corporate executives on navigating often contradictory government contract and environmental requirements. Ms. Azorsky also counsels clients on best practices to satisfy government customers or regulators in a way that avoids the situations that may lead to litigation.
Ms. Azorsky 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 addition to leading the Litigation Department, Ms. Azorsky serves on the firm’s Board of Directors and is co-chair of the firm's Efficiency Task Force. She is also a mentor for attorneys at the firm and for law students through the Georgetown University Women of Color Collective.
Education
- J.D., The George Washington University Law School, 1984
- B.A., Pennsylvania State University, 1981
Admitted
- District of Columbia
- Pennsylvania
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
- U.S. Court of Federal Claims
Civic Activities:
- Board Member, Hispanic National Bar Foundation
- Board Member, Fairfax County Education Foundation
Professional Activities:
- Women's Bar Association of the District of Columbia
- American Bar Association