Day Pitney Expands Environmental Practice With Partner Kirstin M. Etela

Kirstin M. Etela has joined Day Pitney as a partner in its Environmental practice. She was previously the U.S. General Counsel of Tradebe Environmental Services LLC, an environmental services and hazardous waste management company. Etela is based in the firm's Stamford office.

"Particularly with her general counsel experience, Kirstin brings invaluable insight into what our clients need and want from their law firm, and her expansive knowledge base in the environmental industry makes her a true asset to our team," said Elizabeth C. Barton, partner and Chair of Day Pitney's Environmental practice. "She will bring more depth to our already strong bench and significantly enhance and complement our existing environmental capabilities."

Etela's corporate and law firm experience includes real estate, environmental and regulatory law, commercial, product liability, employment litigation, and corporate compliance. She has managed significant environmental litigation matters and been responsible for a broad spectrum of in-house legal services, including environmental counseling, contract work, permitting, regulatory compliance advice, and health and safety compliance advice. Prior to Tradebe, Etela was Senior Vice President, Assistant General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer at Factset Research Systems Inc. and Associate General Counsel at Chemtura Corporation, currently known as Lanxess Solutions U.S. Inc. Etela began her legal career as an Environmental associate in private practice.

"I was drawn to Day Pitney because of the firm's reputation in Connecticut and beyond, and I've personally worked with several of the firm's partners over the years. When the opportunity presented itself, it seemed like a natural next step in my career," stated Etela.

"Kirstin's high-level experience in environmental law matches our clients' increased need for integrated environmental capabilities," said Thomas Goldberg, Day Pitney's Managing Partner.

Etela received her B.A., magna cum laude, from Tulane University; her M.S. and Graduate Diploma in Business, with Distinction, from the London School of Economics and Political Science; and her J.D., magna cum laude, from Pace University School of Law. At Pace, she was the managing editor of the Pace Environmental Law Review and the recipient of the White Plains Bar Association Isaac Rubin Clinical Lawyering and Environmental Law Scholar awards. She is admitted to practice in Connecticut and New York. She was also an intern with the White House Council on Environmental Quality, Executive Office of the President, where she focused on U.S. policy toward illegal logging in the developing world.