Todd Ommen
- Professor of Law for Designated Project or Service
Since the beginning of 2016, Mr. Ommen has been the Managing Attorney for the Pace Environmental Litigation Clinic. PELC is a nationally recognized clinic, which primarily functions as counsel for Riverkeeper, Inc.
Prior to joining Pace, Mr. Ommen practiced in a wide variety of environmental and non-environmental contexts. He began his career in litigation at one of New York City’s most prominent law firms, litigating cases ranging from intellectual property disputes to bankruptcy adversarial proceedings to health care law. In 2007, Mr. Ommen moved to the public sector and focused his practice solely on environmental issues, taking a position as an Assistant Attorney General for the New York State Office of the Attorney General in the Environmental Protection Bureau. There, he primarily litigated cost recovery actions, seeking to compel polluting companies to pay for the environmental remediation necessary at their facilities. In addition, as an Assistant Attorney General, Mr. Ommen defended the State’s decisions in brownfields cases. After four years in the Office of the Attorney General, Mr. Ommen continued his environmental practice at the leading plaintiff-side toxic tort firms, where he successfully obtained recoveries for individuals and municipalities against Fortune 500 companies responsible for environmental releases.
Shortly after beginning his legal practice, Mr. Ommen served as a law clerk for the late Honorable David Trager, United States District Judge in the Eastern District of New York. He received his law degree from Villanova University School of Law (J.D., magna cum laude, 1999). While in law school, Mr. Ommen was a research and writing editor on the Villanova Law Review. He was also a member of the academic honor society Order of the Coif and was awarded Best Oralist at the school-wide moot court competition.
Mr. Ommen is a member of the New York State Bar and is admitted to practice in the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, as well as the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York. Mr. Ommen is a member of the New York State Bar Association and the American Bar Association, Section on Environment, Energy, and Resources.