With over 28 years of practice at the local, state, and federal levels of government, Alexandra Dunn brings to clients an extensive institutional knowledge and keen ability to help solve regulatory and permitting problems companies may face. Her deep relationships across the nation and reputation for transparency, fairness, and equity with state and federal regulators make her an effective presence in the most difficult of settings.
Since coming to Baker Botts in early 2021, she has worked with companies of all sizes – from multi-national corporations to startups – and with national organizations on environmental justice and risk communication, sustainability, settlement of enforcement cases, the regulation and management of emerging contaminants, site cleanup and restoration, chemical regulation compliance, enforcement and compliance assistance, and risk communication.
Alexandra previously served as the Assistant Administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, in which she led the Agency in the creation of national policies implementing federal laws governing chemicals, pesticides, and pollution prevention. Prior to that, she was the EPA Administrator for New England (Region 1).
Drawing upon her agency background, Alexandra provides clients with an "EPA insider" perspective on regulations and management of emerging contaminants, particularly integrated per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFOS/PFAS), and has decades of risk communication and risk management experience to offer clients on chemicals of concern.
"She is described by environmental leaders, ‘as “empathetic,” “apolitical,” and “smart,” and an advocate for science-based environmental policies"
The Boston Globe August 29, 2018
Previously, Alexandra served as Executive Director and General Counsel of the Environmental Council of the States (ECOS), the national non-profit, non-partisan association of U.S. state and territorial environmental commissioners from 2014-2018.
Alexandra is a recognized scholar of environmental law as well, having served as Dean of Environmental Law Programs and Adjunct Professor of Law at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, where she taught courses in Environmental Justice and led efforts to create the nation's first L.L.M. in Environmental Law focused on climate change. Alexandra teaches Environmental Justice courses as a Lecturer in Law at both the Columbus School of Law, Catholic University of America and at the George Washington University School of Law.