Anna Claire Skinner

Anna Claire Skinner represents governmental entities, individual consumers, and corporate clients with the primary purpose of the protection of human health and the environment. She has litigated cases in both administrative tribunals and state and federal court from inception through settlement and trial. She has experience with numerous environmental statutes and regulations, including the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.

Anna Claire is part of the DiCello Levitt team working with several states to investigate and address poly- and perfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) contamination. DiCello Levitt’s PFAS team, along with other Special Assistant Attorneys General and the Illinois Attorney General, most recently filed a lawsuit against 3M for PFAS contamination from its facility in Cordova, Illinois. Cases involving these “forever chemicals” will have wide-reaching implications for state governments and their residents.

Anna Claire also represents public clients in litigation seeking to hold the world’s largest fossil fuel companies accountable for decades of deception concerning climate change and the costs and other consequences that climate change is imposing on those governments.

Anna Claire and DiCello Levitt’s environmental team served as Co-Lead Counsel in Grasley v. Chemtool Inc., a class action lawsuit on behalf of the Rockton, Illinois, community against Chemtool Incorporated—for contamination resulting from a chemical plant fire that burned for days, which required the evacuation of the surrounding community and resulted in contamination of properties for miles around the plant, which settled for $94.5 million.

Anna Claire and DiCello Levitt’s Environmental Litigation Practice Group served as Co-Lead Counsel in Grasley v. Chemtool Inc., a class-action lawsuit on behalf of the Rockton, Illinois, community. The lawsuit arose from contamination caused by a chemical fire at Chemtool’s Rockton plant, which burned for several days, prompted the evacuation of the surrounding area, and contaminated properties for miles around. The case ultimately settled for $94.5 million. Anna Claire and DiCello Levitt’s environmental team also joined with co-counsel in representing several residents and former residents of Union, Illinois, in filing suit against companies responsible for polluting the groundwater with carcinogenic chlorinated solvents.

In addition to her environmental work, Anna Claire helps clients develop and maintain safety and health programs that meet all of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s regulatory requirements and ensure all employees enjoy safe and healthful workplaces. She regularly counsels clients when compliance and litigation questions arise under the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

Outside of the office, Anna Claire continues her work on environmental-related issues by serving as co-chair of the Kentucky Bar Association’s Environment, Energy, and Natural Resources section. She also focuses on giving back to her community through her participation on the executive committee of the Living Arts and Science Center Board of Directors.