Stacey Geis, Former Senior EPA Enforcement Official and Federal Prosecutor, Joins Crowell & Moring

San Francisco – May 29, 2025: Stacey Geis, former deputy assistant administrator at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, has joined Crowell & Moring’s Environment, Energy and Natural Resources and White Collar and Regulatory Enforcement groups as senior counsel in its San Francisco office. Geis brings over 25 years of experience, at the federal and state levels, in environmental law and policy, litigation, and criminal and civil enforcement. 

Geis recently served at EPA headquarters, first as a senior advisor, then as a deputy assistant administrator. During her tenure, she helped to lead the 2,800-person Office of Enforcement & Compliance Assurance and implement policy goals, including addressing climate change, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and revitalization of EPA’s enforcement and compliance programs throughout the country. Most notably, Geis helped create EPA’s Strategic Civil-Criminal Enforcement Policy, provided guidance on EPA’s National Enforcement and Compliance Initiatives, and helped implement two recent Supreme Court decisions — Sackett v. EPA, which limited the definition of wetlands under the Clean Water Act; and SEC v. Jarkesy, which limited the scope of federal administrative proceedings.

At Crowell, Geis’ practice will focus on advising clients on a broad range of environmental and policy matters, including compliance assistance, corporate governance, and risk and crisis management. She will also advise on compliance and enforcement issues, including internal investigations, pre-filing negotiations, and litigation as needed. 

“Stacey expands both our California and federal environmental bench strength for incident response, investigations, enforcement defense, and litigation, bringing a broad and valuable array of experience from state-level prosecutions to nationwide federal enforcement initiatives,” said Kirsten Nathanson, co-chair of Crowell & Moring’s Environment, Energy & Natural Resources Group. “Stacey adds to our roster of former senior EPA and DOJ officials to guide clients through a changing and uncertain regulatory enforcement environment, particularly with PFAS and core EPA priorities around air, water, and waste.”

Prior to joining EPA, Geis spent most of her career practicing in California, including roles at the U.S. Department of Justice, the State of California, and Earthjustice. As a federal prosecutor at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California, Geis prosecuted some of the largest environmental and public safety corporate cases, including a pipeline explosion that killed eight people and decimated neighborhoods, the largest oil spill in the San Francisco Bay, and nationwide hazardous waste violations by a large U.S. retailer. Geis also prosecuted corporate white collar cases, including bringing one of the first criminal fraud cases in the organic foods industry.

“With an anticipated increase in state environmental regulatory and enforcement activity in California and other states in the coming months, we’re excited to add Stacey to our team,” said Daniel Zelenko, chair of the firm’s White Collar and Regulatory Enforcement Group.

“I have spent my career ensuring that highly regulated companies are in compliance with the law, in particular environmental and public safety laws,” said Geis. “I’m excited to bring my unique perspective to help companies improve compliance and minimize potential risks and liabilities, both before and after issues develop.”

Geis received her law degree from the University of Virginia and her bachelor’s degree from Brown University. She clerked for the Honorable Samuel Conti in the Northern District of California.

About Crowell & Moring LLP

Crowell & Moring is an international law firm with operations in the United States, Europe, MENA, and Asia. Drawing on significant government, business, industry, and legal experience, the firm helps clients capitalize on opportunities and provides creative solutions to complex regulatory and policy, litigation, transactional, and intellectual property issues. The firm is consistently recognized for its commitment to pro bono service, as well as its comprehensive programs and initiatives to advance the professional and personal development of all members of the Crowell community.

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