Sher Edling

What Sher Edling does

Sher Edling LLP is a San Francisco-based environmental litigation law firm founded in 2016 by Vic Sher and Matt Edling, organized as a California limited liability partnership. The firm operates across three integrated practice areas: Climate Change Litigation (representing public entities against fossil fuel companies for climate deception, consumer protection, antitrust, public nuisance, and failure-to-warn claims), Water Contamination Litigation (representing states, cities, and public water providers against manufacturers of PFAS, 1,4-dioxane, PCBs, hexavalent chromium, and TCP), and Natural Resources Litigation (pursuing damages under CERCLA and other environmental enforcement statutes against corporate and federal polluters).

The firm's client base consists exclusively of public-sector plaintiffs: 10 states, the District of Columbia, 2 federally-recognized Indian tribes, and 13 local governments, with more than 30 public water providers represented in the national AFFF Multi-District Litigation. Sher Edling has secured leadership positions on Plaintiffs' Executive Committees in major MDL proceedings and was the first to file and first to prevail on motions to dismiss in climate deception tort litigation. As of 2026, the firm has 30 lawyers distributed across 10 states.

Revenue is generated through professional services fees under outside-counsel engagements with government entities, supplemented by contingent-fee recoveries in MDL and class-action contexts. The firm does not disclose pricing publicly and operates on negotiated, quote-based arrangements. Sher Edling has no proprietary technology platform, software product, or API, and derives its competitive position entirely from attorney expertise, legal precedent, and institutional relationships. The firm is privately held by six equity partners with no institutional investors or external funding rounds.

Name

Sher Edling

Legal name

Sher Edling LLP

Website

https://sheredling.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sher Edling is a San Francisco-based environmental litigation law firm representing states, tribes, and local governments in climate deception and water contamination cases, with 30 lawyers across 10 states and over $1 billion in cumulative client relief since 2016.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Law Services

NAICS

Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Compliance & Permitting (BPAHAJAA)

Keywords

• Environmental litigation services
• Climate deception lawsuits
• Water contamination litigation
• Public entity representation
• PFAS AFFF litigation

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Legal Services - Government Entity Representation: Sher Edling represents public entities (states, tribes, local governments) in high-impact environmental litigation. The firm serves as outside counsel to government clients in climate deception cases, water contamination litigation, and natural resource damages cases. Revenue is generated through legal fees for litigation services, with settlements and judgments providing relief to clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sher Edling is an environmental litigation law firm that represents public entities—states, federally recognized Indian tribes, counties, cities, and public water providers—in high-impact cases against fossil fuel and chemical manufacturers. The firm's core offerings span three practice areas: climate deception litigation against fossil fuel companies, water contamination litigation involving PFAS, 1,4-dioxane, PCBs, and other toxic substances, and natural resources litigation pursuing damages under CERCLA and related environmental statutes. Revenue is generated through legal fees for representation in complex civil litigation, multi-district litigation (MDL), and settlement negotiation.

Product overview

Sher Edling is a California-based environmental litigation law firm founded in 2016 that offers specialized legal services rather than a software product platform. The firm's core offerings consist of three interconnected practice areas: Climate Change Litigation (holding fossil fuel companies accountable for deceptive conduct), Water Contamination Litigation (addressing PFAS, 1,4-dioxane, PCBs, and other toxic substances), and Natural Resources Litigation (pursuing damages under CERCLA against corporate and federal polluters). The firm represents public entities including states, tribes, counties, cities, and water providers in high-impact environmental cases, having secured more than $1 billion in relief for clients. The practice areas are supported by specialized MDL litigation expertise and encompass both litigation and settlement negotiation services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Climate Change Litigation Services Legal representation for states, tribes, and local governments to hold fossil fuel companies accountable for climate deception, consumer protection violations, antitrust claims, public nuisance, failure to warn, and negligence. The firm pursues damages to shift financial burdens of climate adaptation off taxpayers and onto polluters.
• Water Contamination Litigation Services Legal representation for states, cities, and public water providers in lawsuits against manufacturers of toxic chemicals including PFAS, 1,4-dioxane, PCBs, hexavalent chromium, and TCP that pollute groundwater and natural resources. Includes multi-district litigation support in the national AFFF MDL, with more than 30 water providers awarded more than $400 million in 2025 PFAS settlements.
• Natural Resources Litigation Services Legal representation for public entities in cases involving oil spills, toxic waste, pesticides, and chemical contaminants under CERCLA and other environmental enforcement laws, including legacy and ambient contamination affecting soil or groundwater. Includes pursuit of damages for transboundary pollution and natural resource damages.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than $1 billion in relief for clients
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers31 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Leadership Counsel for Justice and AccountabilityminorOthersSher Edling provided pro bono legal support to Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability as co-counsel representing residents of Oasis Mobile Home Park in water and habitability litigation. This is a community organization focused on housing, land use, transportation, safe drinking water, and climate change impacts.
• Juntos Por Un Mejor OasisminorOthersSher Edling provided pro bono counsel to this community organization formed by Oasis Mobile Home Park residents to advocate for safe housing, safe drinking water, and improved living conditions.
• Keller RohrbackcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSher Edling works alongside co-counsel from Keller Rohrback to represent Bay Area local governments (three counties and 44 municipalities) in PCB contamination litigation against Monsanto. This is a significant co-counsel relationship in major environmental litigation.
• California Department of JusticecoreOthersSher Edling works with the California Department of Justice as co-counsel representing California's toxics department in lead contamination litigation against NL Industries and other defendants.
• Nidel & Nace, PLLCminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSher Edling works alongside Nidel & Nace, PLLC as co-counsel in lead contamination litigation on behalf of California.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC): NRDC is a leading environmental advocacy organization with in-house legal capacity to litigate environmental matters. Comparable as a high-profile environmental law player but is a nonprofit rather than a private contingency-fee firm.
• Arnold & Porter: Arnold & Porter is an Am Law 50 firm with a preeminent environmental practice representing both plaintiffs and defendants. Comparable in environmental subject-matter expertise but serves a much broader client base including corporate defendants.
• Earthjustice: Earthjustice is the largest nonprofit public-interest environmental law organization in the US, founded by Vic Sher's predecessor organization. Comparable in environmental advocacy scope but operates as a nonprofit rather than a contingency-fee plaintiff firm.

Direct peers

• Hausfeld: Hausfeld is a global litigation firm with leading environmental, climate, and human-rights practices. Comparable in pursuing climate-related and environmental accountability claims on behalf of affected parties, including public entities.
• Keller Rohrback: Keller Rohrback is a complex civil litigation firm with active environmental, PFAS, and consumer-protection practices. Sher Edling specifically works alongside Keller Rohrback as co-counsel in PCB contamination litigation; directly comparable in serving public entities in environmental matters.
• Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein: Lieff Cabraser is a nationally recognized plaintiffs' firm with environmental, mass-tort, and consumer-protection practices. Comparable in plaintiff-side environmental and contamination litigation and representation of government-affiliated clients.
• Weitz & Luxenberg: Weitz & Luxenberg is a leading mass-tort and environmental litigation firm with active PFAS, AFFF, and water-contamination practices. Comparable in serving as plaintiff counsel against chemical and industrial defendants in environmental contamination cases.
• Baron & Budd: Baron & Budd is a national environmental and mass-tort litigation firm representing public entities and individuals in water contamination (including PFAS/AFFF), toxic exposure, and similar matters. Directly comparable as a plaintiff-side environmental litigation boutique with government and water-utility clients.
• Motley Rice: Motley Rice is a national plaintiffs' firm with deep environmental and public-nuisance litigation experience, including representation of state and municipal clients. Comparable in serving state AGs and public entities in climate, contamination, and mass-tort matters.

Emerging players

• Susman Godfrey: Susman Godfrey is a premier commercial trial firm that has expanded into public-nuisance and climate-related litigation. Comparable in high-stakes trial capability and growing environmental docket, though its core practice remains commercial litigation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sher-edling-llp
• Xx.com/sheredlingllp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sher Edling