Monty Cooper

He has defended major oil companies in product liability litigation and property-damage claims arising from gasoline spills—including litigation over the gasoline additive MTBE—and brings extensive experience in federal multidistrict litigation. Beyond the courtroom, he advises clients on a range of non-litigation matters, including regulatory and legislative issues affecting product manufacturers, negotiations with state environmental agencies on environmental compliance and property-transfer laws, and regulatory guidance on chemicals such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Monty regularly publishes articles and speaks on panels nationwide on topics ranging from environmental litigation and regulatory trends to emerging contaminants like PFAS and microplastics.

Monty maintains an active pro bono practice, representing indigent defendants in criminal appeals before the Appellate Court of Maryland—including successfully overturning a verdict, a rare outcome reached in only about 6% of cases. His pro bono work also includes representation in immigration habeas corpus proceedings. Monty has also spent time in government: he tried jury and bench trials as a special assistant state’s attorney in Prince George’s County, MD and clerked for the Honorable Patrick Michael Duffy of the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina.

Public Service, Education, and Recognition

Monty is active in his community and in the legal profession. He served as chairman of the board of directors of the Redevelopment Authority (RDA) of Prince George’s County, MD, an organization dedicated to redeveloping, revitalizing, and preserving targeted communities within the Washington, D.C. Beltway. He has also served on the Council for the American Bar Association’s Section on Energy, Environment, and Resources (ABA-SEER), held various leadership roles within ABA-SEER, and served on committees within the National Bar Association’s Commercial Law Section.

Monty earned a BA in American Studies from Georgetown University, where he tutored at the university's Writing Center. At the College of William and Mary Law School, he served as a notes editor for the William and Mary Law Review, was a member of the William and Mary Bill of Rights Journal, and was named a Benjamin Rush Scholar. He also holds a Master of Public Policy from the College of William and Mary.

He has earned numerous recognitions in private practice, including multiple appearances on Thomson Reuters’s list of “Stand-out Lawyers.” He has completed UC Berkeley Law Executive Education's online programs "Sustainable Capitalism & ESG" and "UC Berkeley Law AI Institute."

He is admitted to the bars of Maryland, the District of Columbia, and South Carolina.