A woman with curly brown hair, wearing a black blazer and blue top, smiles at the camera against a blurred corporate law office background.

Sarah A. Slack

Partner

Sarah Slack is an environmental lawyer dividing her time between project development and redevelopment work, environmental and product stewardship compliance counseling, transactions, and environmental litigation. She is a partner in the firm’s Business Law Department and a member of the Environmental Regulation Practice Group. Sarah is also an active member in the firm’s Energy & Infrastructure Sector where she acts as the subsector lead for our Energy Transition Team. Sarah has extensive experience counseling developer, investor, and lender clients in all aspects of renewable energy project development, including solar, wind, and battery storage projects. Sarah regularly counsels clients on matters related to sustainability and environmental, social, and governance (ESG), including packaging regulations and green claims and greenwashing considerations. In addition, Sarah assists clients with development, financing, and permitting considerations related to carbon capture and hydrogen projects, as well as on matters related to microgrids and EV Infrastructure development, as well as cleantech.

Sarah counsels clients in the traditional manufacturing space, as well as across a variety of industry sectors, from traditional energy and infrastructure matters to renewable energy projects, and from chemical producers to food products companies. She has been involved in numerous development and redevelopment projects and has assisted with obtaining, renewing, and revising construction and operation permits, including permits related to federal and state wetlands, wastewater discharges, air emissions, and special status species. She also assists clients with product stewardship considerations related to both new products and evolving regulatory regimes.

Sarah has extensive experience counseling clients on the cutting edge of Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Superfund, FIFRA, TSCA, and RCRA enforcement, as well as citizen suit litigation, settlement strategies, and related cost recovery, insurance coverage, and indemnity disputes. She also provides counsel to clients regarding air emissions, waste management, underground storage tank compliance, and water discharge permitting and compliance, as well as a variety of compliance matters related to chemicals and chemical usage, including under California’s Proposition 65.

Awards and Recognition

  • Named to Wisconsin Law Journal’s Environmental Law Attorney Powerlist (2025)
  • Listed in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business in the fields of natural resources and environmental law (2022-2025)
  • Named to Wisconsin Super Lawyers – Rising Stars® lists (2013-2015)

Affiliations

  • Chair Elect of the Environmental Law Section of the State Bar of Wisconsin

Presentations and Publications

  • Co-author, “Navigating to Net Zero: Regulatory Regimes and Market Trends Impacting Decisions,” Natural Resources & Environment (Summer 2023)
  • Co-author, “Crossing the Line: Navigating Multinational Corporation Chemical Compliance,” Natural Resources & Environment (Fall 2020)
  • Co-author, “Paris or No Paris, Auto Emissions May Fall,” Daily Journal (June 22, 2017)
  • Author, “When is a Pesticide Not a Pollutant? Never: An Analysis of the EPA’s Misguided Guidance,” 90 Iowa L. Rev. 1241 (2005)
December 2, 2025 Foley Viewpoints

CARB Climate Disclosure Laws Updates: CARB Enforcement Advisory for SB 261 and Docket Opening; Expected Deadline for SB 253

On December 1, 2025, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) provided multiple updates regarding its implementation of Senate Bill (SB)...
November 20, 2025 Energy Current

Ninth Circuit Stays Enforcement of California Climate Disclosure Law SB 261 Pending Appeal

On November 18, 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued an order enjoining enforcement of California Senate Bill 261...
November 11, 2025 Deals and Wins

Foley Represents KeyBank as Sole Lender in $75M Lightshift Energy Project Finance Facility

Foley & Lardner LLP served as legal advisor to KeyBanc Capital Markets, the corporate and investment banking arm of Cleveland based KeyCorp, for the $75 million credit facility to support Lightshift Energy’s expanding fleet of battery projects.
November 4, 2025 Deals and Wins

Foley Advises MUFG in First Financing with Dimension Energy

Foley & Lardner LLP advised to MUFG Bank Ltd. in its capacity as lead debt syndicator for Dimension Energy’s $412 million community solar project financing package that will support a new 134 MWdc portfolio of 25 community solar projects in Illinois, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
October 10, 2025 Energy Current

CA Climate Disclosures – SB 261 – January 1, 2026 Reporting Deadline and CARB “Preliminary List” of Covered Entities

While the January 1, 2026, statutory deadline for reporting under California’s Climate-Related Financial Risk Act (SB 261) is quickly...
September 29, 2025 Honors and Awards

Linda Benfield and Sarah Slack Named to Environmental Law Powerlist by Wisconsin Law Journal

Foley & Lardner LLP partners and environmental lawyers Linda Benfield and Sarah Slack are named to Wisconsin Law Journal's Environmental Law Attorney Powerlist.