Benjamin Lee Fruchey

Ben’s practice focuses on environmental, toxic tort, mass tort and products liability litigation, permitting and compliance with environmental regulations, assisting with chemical release response and cleanup and defending and resolving actual or potential regulatory violations. He also has experience defending against personal injury lawsuits, class action lawsuits relating to alleged nuisance odors, particulate matter and groundwater and soil contamination. Ben’s extensive practice also includes business issues and commercial litigation. He has assisted clients in their efforts to obtain environmental permits, resolving permit violations, and litigating denied permits under Michigan’s Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (NREPA). He also has considerable experience in matters involving land use and real property law.

Ben’s practice also includes assisting an insurance carrier for the over the road truckers in responding to environmental releases on behalf of it and its policy holders. As a hydrogeologist, geologist, former environmental consultant, oil and gas geologist and environmental attorney, Ben brings over 20 years of legal and consulting experience to assist his clients with getting to closure while controlling cost and risk to the extent possible. He believes that his goal oriented approach to obtaining closure, coupled with his understanding of the science and ability to effectively communicate with regulators and consultants provides great value to his client by increasing efficiencies and working with consultants to identify cost effective and proven remedial options. Throughout his career, he has worked on environmental cleanup matters in various capacities in MI, OH, IN, KS, VA, IA, ND, SD, CO, OK, LA, WI and TX, among other states. He has handled matters involving chlorinated solvents, brine, crude oil, gasoline and diesel, ethanol, liquid fertilizer (ammonia, nitrates, nitrites), formaldehyde and methanol, among others.

Ben also has experience defending several class-action lawsuits within the past several years. Some of these lawsuits involved nuisance odors while others involve claims of chemical exposure and personal injury. He recently argued and won a dispositive motion involving a purported class action in Oakland County Michigan. The lawsuit claimed that many hundreds of employees were injured by airborne constituents within the workplace. Dismissal of that case has been appealed.

Ben is a member of the State Bar of Michigan and the Michigan Association of Environmental Professionals (MAEP). He has been admitted pro hac vice in CA, ND, NY, TN, WY and VA. In addition, he was the former chairperson the Portland Zoning Board of Appeals. During law school he interned for Justice Elizabeth Weaver of the Michigan Supreme Court.