Gerald J Pels

Troutman Pepper Locke LLP is an international law firm formed on January 1st, 2025, through the merger of Troutman Pepper and Locke Lord. The combined firm boasts more than 1,600 attorneys across 33 offices in the US and Europe, including a significant presence in Texas. With its headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, Troutman Pepper Locke offers comprehensive legal services across various industries, including energy, financial services, healthcare, insurance, private equity and real estate.

Meanwhile, Troutman Pepper Locke’s air quality team advises clients on permitting, compliance, enforcement actions and civil lawsuits related to air quality issues. Clients include businesses from various industrial sectors – including oil and gas, power generation, waste management, manufacturing, chemical, mining and agriculture.

In 2025, four partners from Troutman Pepper Locke’s Environmental & Natural Resources Practice Group, including Gerald J Pels, were recognised in the Lawdragon Green 500: Leaders in Environmental Law list. This recognition highlights the firm’s commitment to shaping the future of environmental law in the US. Mr Pels is also listed by Lawdragon as a leader in energy law based on his environmental work with the industry.

Steering the firm’s environmental practice in Texas is Gerald J ("Gerry") Pels, a Partner based in Houston. With more than 40 years’ experience, Mr Pels is recognised as a leader in the Texas environmental legal community. His practice focuses on compliance, permitting, enforcement defence, risk management, agency negotiation, counselling, litigation and representing clients at contested permit, enforcement and other hearings. Gerry has extensive experience representing heavy industry in air permitting, compliance and enforcement defence.

To date, Mr Pels has led teams on significant environmental law matters, including resolving the well-known Cooper v Aviall litigation and arguing Clean Air Act issues before the Fifth Circuit involving the Texas State Implementation Plan (SIP). He is consistently recommended by Chambers USA and The Best Lawyers in America® for Environmental Law, and further served as an adjunct law professor for seven years, teaching environmental law and an advanced RCRA seminar. He provides strategic board-level guidance on environmental risk mitigation, incident investigation, reporting and oversight – including development of corporate environmental compliance and risk minimisation policies, management training, stakeholder involvement and community relations planning.