Lynn L. Bergeson
Managing Partner
Overview
Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Partner of Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®), has earned an international reputation for her deep and expansive understanding of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), the European Union Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation, the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA), and especially how these regulatory programs pertain to nanotechnology, industrial biotechnology, synthetic biology, and other emerging transformative technologies. Ms. Bergeson’s peerless mastery of the complex interplay between chemical innovation, regulatory oversight, policy making, and product commercialization, and her decades of experience as an entrepreneur and business owner, allow her to develop client-focused and business-sensitive strategies whether advocating before the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. state regulatory agencies, or other governance and standard-setting bodies.
Ms. Bergeson employs a highly sophisticated, nuanced approach to problem solving as she assists corporations, trade associations, and business consortia to commercialize new technologies, access new markets, extend the commercial life of an efficacious chemical product, obtain a derogation of a chemical use, or secure a competitive advantage in a new market or territory. Ms. Bergeson is a tireless and dynamic advocate for clients commercializing new chemicals with environmental, financial, and performance benefits for both industry and populations. She counsels clients on a wide range of issues pertaining to product stewardship; chemical hazard, exposure, and risk assessment; risk communication; minimizing legal liability; and product lifecycle strategy.
Representative Engagements
- Assists a global manufacturer of industrial and consumer products to register and maintain chemical product approvals in all jurisdictions in which its products are marketed.
- Among the first U.S. law firms to assist several manufacturers of nanoscale chemical products obtain approval for their innovations under TSCA and has devised and maintained product stewardship programs in multiple global jurisdictions to manage these nanoscale products effectively.
- Among the first law firms judicially to challenge a Significant New Use Rule (SNUR) issued under TSCA Section 5 to eliminate or lessen commercial restrictions placed on the manufacture, processing, and distribution of a new chemical substance.
- Assists several biobased chemical manufacturers to address difficult TSCA nomenclature and chemical identity issues and to devise and implement product stewardship protocols to manage these products with downstream stakeholders.
- Assists clients to prepare and obtain approvals for chemicals produced by intergeneric microorganisms.
Professional and Community Involvement
- Regent, ACOEL, 2022 – ; Executive Committee, 2022 -; Chair, Roundtable Task Force, 2023 –
- Member, IBA Agriculture and Food Section Advisory Board, 2025 – ; Chair, IBA, Agriculture and Food Section, 2022 – 2024; Senior Vice Chair, IBA, Agriculture and Food Section, 2018 – 2021
- Chair, IBA, Agriculture and Food Section, 2022 – ; Senior Vice Chair, IBA, Agriculture and Food Section, 2018 – 2021
- Appointed by Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley to serve on the Washington College Board of Visitors and Governors, 2013 – 2016, and by Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, 2016 – 2022
- Chair, ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources, 2005 – 2006
- Past Chair, ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources Special Committee on TSCA Reform, 2009
- Vice Chair, ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources, Pesticides and Chemicals Committee, 2008 –
- Editor, ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources Pesticides and Chemicals Newsletter
- Member, ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources Governance Committee, 2013 – 2014
- Member, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Nanotechnology Standards Panel (NSP) Steering Committee, 2004 – 2005
- Chair of the Environment, Health, and Safety Committee of the NanoBusiness Commercialization Association
- Member, Steering Committee of EPA’s Pollution Prevention through Nanotechnology Conference
- Member, ISO Technical Committee 229 on Nanotechnologies Steering Committee, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) Conference on Potential Environmental Benefits of Nanotechnology: Fostering Safe Innovation-Led Growth, Paris, France, 2009
Articles and Writings
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Lynn L. Bergeson, Lisa R. Burchi, Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Kelly N. Garson, Carla N. Hutton, and Todd J. Stedeford, Ph.D., DABT®, ERT, ATS, co-authors, “Chemical Product Law and Supply Chain Stewardship: A Guide to New TSCA,” ABA Book Publishing (2025).
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Lynn L. Bergeson, Kelly N. Garson, and Lara A. Hall, “Testing, Testing,” Environmental Forum, March/April 2025.
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Lynn L. Bergeson, Christopher R. Blunck, Lisa R. Burchi, Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., Carla N. Hutton, and Todd J. Stedeford, Ph.D., DABT®, ERT, ATS, co-authors, “Guide to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA),” LexisNexis (2024).
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Lynn L. Bergeson, “Managing risk: what the EPA’s TSCA chemical use bans tell us,” Financier Worldwide, August 2024.
Presentations
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“Determining PFAS Content in Your Supply Chain and Expanding Data Collection Practice,” Bergeson & Campbell, P.C., (July 13, 2024).
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“There Is More to TSCA Reporting Than CDR: TSCA Sections 8(a), (c), (d), and (e),” Bergeson & Campbell, P.C., (June 18, 2024).
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“Sponsor’s Role in Regulatory Testing — Complying with GLP Standards,” Bergeson & Campbell, P.C., (June 13, 2024).
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“Harmonizing TSCA Consent Orders with OSHA HCS 2012,” Bergeson & Campbell, P.C., (May 14, 2024).
Education
- BA, Michigan State University, 1975, magna cum laude
- JD, Columbus School of Law, Catholic University of America, 1979, Law Review
Bar & Court Admissions
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, 2020
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, 1982
- U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, 1983
- District of Columbia, 1980
Rankings & Recognition
- Chambers and Partners USA: Environmental Law, Washington, D.C., Ranked Lawyer: Band 1 (2017 – 2024)
- Super Lawyers (2008-2024)
- The Best Lawyers in America®: Washington, DC’s Best Lawyers in Environmental Law (2009, 2013 – 2025)
- U.S. News & World Report: Best Law Firms, First-Tier Ranking for Environmental Law (2012 – 2025)
- Who’s Who Legal of Environment Lawyers (2004 – 2024)
- Who’s Who Legal, Environment Leading Practitioners/Global Elite Thought Leaders (2009, 2013 – 2024)
- Chambers and Partners USA: Environmental Law Notable Practitioner (2005 – 2020)
- Lexology Thought Leader, Infrastructure (2018 – 2025)
- National Law Review Go-To Thought Leader (2019 – 2024)
- Washingtonian’s List of Top Lawyers (2009 – 2019)
- Super Lawyers: Top 50 Women Washington, D.C. (2018, 2020)
- 2011 Inductee, American College of Environmental Lawyers
- Martindale-Hubbell’s Top Women Lawyers in the Northeast for Environmental Law (2011)
- Law360’s Five Most Admired Environmental Attorneys (2010)
- Nanotechnology Law & Business’s List of Top Ten Experts in Environmental, Health, and Safety Issues Related to Engineered Nanomaterials (2009)