Justin Savage

Chambers-ranked since 2018, with a current Band 1 ranking (2024-2026). Client comments include:
*"Justin is an excellent litigator. He is strategically clever and creative. He was attentive, thoughtful and went above and beyond." (2025)
*"A rockstar. He's my first call for the bet-the-company issues." (2023)
*Recognizing his "litigation and trial prowess in major environmental cases” and his “understanding of regulators’ viewpoints” (2017)

From the 2023 Edition of Chambers Transportation Road (Automotive)

"Justin Savage is the global leader of the firm's Automotive and Mobility group. He is noted for his extensive experience representing companies, boards and senior executives in litigation, enforcement, investigations and compliance matters."

Client comments include:
"Justin is smart, savvy and sophisticated."
"Justin is a pleasure to be around and an incredibly knowledgeable and sophisticated… Show more

From the 2023 Edition of Chambers Transportation Road (Automotive)

"Justin Savage is the global leader of the firm's Automotive and Mobility group. He is noted for his extensive experience representing companies, boards and senior executives in litigation, enforcement, investigations and compliance matters."

Client comments include:
"Justin is smart, savvy and sophisticated."
"Justin is a pleasure to be around and an incredibly knowledgeable and sophisticated lawyer."

From the 2025 edition:
"He has an EQ that's super helpful because he builds relationships that we can leverage for a better outcome. He's amazing." Show less

"We’re honored to introduce The 2026 Lawdragon 500 Global Leaders in Crisis Management. This is our 2nd edition of this timely take on the advisors who are the legal world’s emergency responders – when investigators turn their eye to a client, a deal attracts activist activity or an industry goes under the relentless microscope of a class action. They are best in class in the emerging practice of our times – in which crisis is a daily drumbeat and surviving to fight again the goal. Strange… Show more

"We’re honored to introduce The 2026 Lawdragon 500 Global Leaders in Crisis Management. This is our 2nd edition of this timely take on the advisors who are the legal world’s emergency responders – when investigators turn their eye to a client, a deal attracts activist activity or an industry goes under the relentless microscope of a class action. They are best in class in the emerging practice of our times – in which crisis is a daily drumbeat and surviving to fight again the goal. Strange days. But here we are and no one does it better than these advisors." Show less

"We selected this year’s honorees from our time-honed process of journalistic reporting, nominations and vetting with peers and experts in environmental law. We received more nominations than ever, and we appreciate those of you who took the time to contribute."

https://www.lawdragon.com/guides/2025-01-31-the-2025-lawdragon-500-leading-environmental-lawyers-the-green-500

"Sidley Austin LLP partner and environmental practice group co-leader Justin Savage's recent accomplishments include the pro bono defense of a client accused by the federal government of installing devices in vehicles meant to defeat emission control laws and helping an Ohio petroleum refiner resolve pollution allegations, earning him a spot among the 2025 Law360 Environmental MVPs."

"Washingtonian Magazine featured eight Sidley lawyers among its 2024 “Top Lawyers” list. The biennial supplement highlights Washington, D.C.’s “top legal talent” across various practice areas. Lawyers are selected based on a combination of peer review and research conducted by the magazine’s editorial staff.

Recognized Sidley lawyers are:

Colleen Theresa Brown
Peter D. Keisler
David C. Lashway
Ted Murphy
Carter G. Phillips
Alan Charles Raul
Justin A… Show more

"Washingtonian Magazine featured eight Sidley lawyers among its 2024 “Top Lawyers” list. The biennial supplement highlights Washington, D.C.’s “top legal talent” across various practice areas. Lawyers are selected based on a combination of peer review and research conducted by the magazine’s editorial staff.

Recognized Sidley lawyers are:

Colleen Theresa Brown
Peter D. Keisler
David C. Lashway
Ted Murphy
Carter G. Phillips
Alan Charles Raul
Justin A. Savage
Timothy K. Webster" Show less

Received recognition from Best Lawyers in the Environmental Litigation category, showcasing the trust and confidence of our clients, peers, and team at Sidley Austin LLP.

Leading Partners are the “strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike."

"The Super Lawyers patented selection process is peer influenced and research driven, selecting the top 5% of attorneys to the Super Lawyers lists each year. We know lawyers and make it easy to connect with them."

https://profiles.superlawyers.com/washington-dc/washington/lawyer/justin-savage/68671ba1-9884-4ee5-8195-56c50d0c84b5.html

Recognized as LawDragon 500 Global Leaders in Crisis Management, which recognizes which recognizes the “rising convergence in law practice and strategy of increased oversight in a global environment.” https://www.lawdragon.com/guides/2025-06-13-the-lawdragon-500-global-leaders-in-crisis-management?utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-95zyP-QRl6sM5AQZIJ13BfSbDr4eMKgK793bBgbS2ZmA4LPsfEgR302DhxPfxNazwF_GEQlOilszjwpChIYjaMyZIyiQ&_hsmi=367167079&utm_content=367167079&utm_source=hs_email

Received Law360 MVP Award for Environmental Law

"These 500 lawyers represent the remarkable breadth amassed in environmental law more than 50 years after the first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970. We were particularly mindful of that as we crafted this year’s selection, finding many of the OGs of the field (original greens) from the 1970s and 1980s, have moved into retirement. Greener pastures.

In their stead are a new generation of attorneys fighting to protect the environment, and help clients build more sustainable businesses… Show more

"These 500 lawyers represent the remarkable breadth amassed in environmental law more than 50 years after the first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970. We were particularly mindful of that as we crafted this year’s selection, finding many of the OGs of the field (original greens) from the 1970s and 1980s, have moved into retirement. Greener pastures.

In their stead are a new generation of attorneys fighting to protect the environment, and help clients build more sustainable businesses – to develop properties facing environmental challenges; to help auto manufacturers and others support efforts to alleviate climate change; to protect wildlife threatened by fires and drought; to find insurance coverage for environmental liabilities; and to create a future where people can breathe and businesses prosper alongside polar bears, glaciers, rivers and so many other wonders threatened on this Earth we call home.

We selected this year’s remarkable group from our time-honed process of journalistic reporting, nominations and vetting with peers and experts in environmental law. We are particularly proud of the diversity of this 500, which is 41 percent women and 20 percent inclusive." Show less

The National Law Journal "recognizes professionals who have moved the needle in the legal industry - professionals who are truly Trailblazers." The link to the 2021 Energy & Environmental Trailblazers Awards is here: https://images.law.com/media/nationallawjournal/supplements/NLJTB_EE_2021/mobile/index.html

Justin Savage received the 2019 Client Choice Award in Environment and Climate Change for "add[ing] real value to clients' business above and beyond the other players in the market." Nominations for this award may only be made by corporate counsel. Those nominating counsel remarked that Justin's "unparalleled knowledge of environmental law is uniquely paired with his advocacy skills" and that Justin enjoys "longstanding relationships with government personnel at every level."
… Show more

Justin Savage received the 2019 Client Choice Award in Environment and Climate Change for "add[ing] real value to clients' business above and beyond the other players in the market." Nominations for this award may only be made by corporate counsel. Those nominating counsel remarked that Justin's "unparalleled knowledge of environmental law is uniquely paired with his advocacy skills" and that Justin enjoys "longstanding relationships with government personnel at every level."
https://www.clientchoice.com/justin-savage Show less

https://www.sidley.com/en/newslanding/newsachievements/2018/11/two-sidley-partners-named-mvps-by-law360

Justin Savage of Sidley Austin LLP was able to help reach a settlement with The Sierra Club on a case over standards for formaldehyde in wood products, making him one of Law360’s Environmental MVPs for 2018.

Savage, who moved to Sidley Austin from Hogan Lovells in September 2017, helped convince The Sierra Club to settle a suit in which it had challenged the U.S. Environmental… Show more

https://www.sidley.com/en/newslanding/newsachievements/2018/11/two-sidley-partners-named-mvps-by-law360

Justin Savage of Sidley Austin LLP was able to help reach a settlement with The Sierra Club on a case over standards for formaldehyde in wood products, making him one of Law360’s Environmental MVPs for 2018.

Savage, who moved to Sidley Austin from Hogan Lovells in September 2017, helped convince The Sierra Club to settle a suit in which it had challenged the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's decision to push off a deadline for wood-products makers and importers to comply with formaldehyde regulations, after a California federal judge had found that the EPA could not push it back and favored arguments that the delay effectively "eviscerates" the statute.

Savage “organized and led a coalition of trade associations,” his firm said, to reach a deal that allowed the continued sale of wood products that were already in the pipeline.

“The judge [had] ruled against the Trump administration. At that point, there were billions of dollars’ worth of product that could have literally gone to waste and not been usable. We worked with the government, we worked with The Sierra Club, to come up with a settlement that allowed, for a limited time period, those wood products to go forward [and be sold],” Savage said. Show less

Received DOJ's John Marshall Award, the Department's highest honor, for work as lead counsel on U.S. v. American Electric Power, which resulted in what was then the largest single environmental settlement in history, https://www.justice.gov/archive/opa/pr/2008/October/08-opa-954.html

Received more than a dozen special commendations and outstanding performance awards from DOJ and EPA for work on enforcement and policy matters from 2004-2013