Julianne M. Avery
About Julianne
Julie Avery’s practice focuses on a variety of litigation and regulatory matters, including on environmental enforcement, litigation and compliance, renewable energy transactional matters, and general commercial litigation. Julie assists clients with compliance and enforcement issues under the Clean Air Act (CAA), the Clean Water Act (CWA), the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), and similar state programs in California and Oregon. Julie also has experience with regulatory issues and investigations involving per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). She has utilized her litigation and environmental experience to negotiate and draft Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contracts for clients with renewable energy projects throughout the country. Julie also has experience in state and federal actions involving contract and other business disputes and a broad array of environmental, energy, and insurance coverage issues.
During law school, Julie served as an extern to Judge Amy D. Hogue at the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, and as a full-time honors law clerk with the United States Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C., where she worked for the Mobile Source Enforcement Branch of the Air Enforcement Division. Before joining Miller Nash, Julie was a litigation associate at a California law firm, working with public entities in the areas of construction, real estate, and environmental regulation.
Representative Experience
-
Renewable Energy Plus
-
Drafts and negotiates Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) agreements for a variety of solar and onshore wind projects across the country.
-
Represents a California-based manufacturing company regarding a renewable energy project dispute.
-
-
Environmental Litigation & Compliance Plus
-
Actively represents clients at the Portland Harbor Superfund site in Portland, Oregon, including assisting with insurance recovery efforts.
-
Advises a manufacturing company with Los Angeles County Regional Water Board order compliance.
-
Represents a national energy company in asserting statutory and common law claims related to PFAS contamination arising from aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) against manufacturers of AFFF and PFAS in California.
-
Second-chaired California arbitration hearing defending international energy company against environmental contamination claims and obtained arbitration award in client’s favor.
-
Advised national energy client on environmental review and permitting requirements for remediation project in California.
-
-
Commercial Litigation Plus
-
Key member of team that obtained a $1.5 million verdict in large energy company’s favor in a franchise dispute.
-
Successfully obtained dismissal of large regional grocery store chain client in antitrust class action related to price-gouging during the COVID-19 pandemic.
-
Client Collaborations
Activities
- Los Angeles County Bar Association, Environmental Section, Member
- Orange County Bar Association, Mommy Esq., Member
- Orange County Women Lawyers Association, Member
- Energy Bar Association Western Chapter, Member
- FuturePorts, Executive Committee, Treasurer
Recognition
- Selected for inclusion as a Southern California Super Lawyer—Rising Stars, 2023-present
Insights from Julianne
- “PFAS Year-End Review: EPA Lays Groundwork for Tighter Regulatory Scrutiny,” Miller Nash, coauthor (Feb, 2023)
- “EPA Issues Historic Proposed Rule to Designate PFOS and PFOA as Hazardous Substances Under CERCLA,” Miller Nash, From the Ground Up, coauthor (Aug. 2022)
- "EPA and States Issue Temporary Policies: Air and Water Permit Compliance During COVID-19," Miller Nash Graham & Dunn, From the Ground Up (Apr. 2020)
- “Powering Ahead: Perspectives on State-Level Energy Permitting Reform,” American Bar Association, webinar, panelist (Mar. 2025)
- “ESG: Trends, Risks, and Coverage Issues,” The Litigation Section of the American Bar Association, 2022 Women in Insurance Network, panelist (Oct. 2022)
