Joseph Madonia

Joseph F. Madonia

Partner
Joe Madonia resolves significant toxic tort and environmental matters across the nation. He brings a rare scientific depth to environmental litigation, drawing upon technical expertise in chemistry, toxicology, and hydrogeology when resolving disputes. 

Joe serves as national trial counsel in complex litigation for international chemical companies and defends large environmental class action suits involving groundwater, air, and soil contamination. His practice also includes governmental enforcement actions, citizen suits and private party cost recovery litigation.

With over 25 years of experience, clients frequently ask Joe to consult on major site remediation projects. His work spans remediating manufactured gas plant (MGP) sites, Superfund sites, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) facilities, and underground storage tank sites, as well as voluntary remediation under various state programs. Joe also prosecutes and defends high-profile criminal environmental cases before both grand juries and at trial.

Joe’s private practice builds upon his work serving as the former deputy chief of the Illinois Attorney General’s Environmental Enforcement Division. In this role, he tried and supervised civil and criminal proceedings in federal and state courts and before a variety of regulatory agencies. This first-hand experience is foundational to developing unique perspectives in defending cases against the government.

Credentials

Education

  • Southern Methodist University, J.D., 1985
  • University of Notre Dame, B.A., 1982

Bar Admissions

  • Illinois

Court Admissions

  • U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
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