Beveridge & Diamond (B&D) has expanded its civil environmental enforcement and litigation capabilities in Texas and nationwide with the addition of Of Counsel Amber Ahmed in its Austin office. Amber is the former Assistant Attorney General in the Environmental Protection Division, where she served as Managing Attorney of the Natural Resources and Environmental Defense Section at the Texas Office of the Attorney General (OAG).

“We are thrilled to welcome Amber to the firm,” said Austin Office Managing Principal Bina Reddy. “Her experience with the Texas OAG and TCEQ, her inside perspective on environmental enforcement, and her deep understanding of issues facing industry in the state will immediately benefit clients facing litigation and civil enforcement matters within Texas and around the U.S.”

During her time with the Texas OAG, Amber counseled state agencies and state officials for critical, strategic, and high-profile decision-making regarding enforcement, permitting, rulemaking, cost recovery, and eminent domain. Before joining OAG, Amber was a staff attorney in the litigation division of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), where she advised on matters pertaining to waste, water, and air enforcement cases in the oil & gas, chemical, waste management and recycling, estate, retail, and public sectors.

“I am honored to join one of the most robust and distinguished environmental litigation groups in the country, and particularly enthusiastic to do so as the firm celebrates 50 years of outstanding practice,” Amber stated.  “I am excited to add to the repository of focused experience on Texas and Gulf Coast environmental issues and look forward to serving the firm’s clients nationwide.”

B&D’s Austin office works with clients on environmental regulatory compliance, high-stakes enforcement, permitting, commercial and toxic tort litigation, and project development matters.  We provide oil, gas, chemical, manufacturing, and other industry clients with complex and mission-critical support that enables their businesses to grow and protects against litigation risk. When litigation is necessary, B&D’s office routinely achieves multi-million dollar settlements, and counseling clients in high-stakes and precedent-setting matters. Nearly two-thirds of B&D’s lawyers have prior U.S. state or federal government experience, including many who served in enforcement-focused roles at U.S. EPA and DOJ and state agencies, including TCEQ and the Texas OAG.

Law360 covered Amber's arrival here.