Partner Diana Silva concentrates her practice in environmental litigation, including statutory contribution and cost recovery actions, toxic tort claims, contractual disputes, common law tort claims, administrative enforcement actions, and permit appeals.  She also counsels clients on environmental regulatory compliance matters, and provides clients with guidance and assistance for land development-related permitting of residential, commercial, industrial, and large-scale infrastructure projects. Diana has helped clients obtain and comply with construction-related stormwater/erosion and sediment control permits, wetlands permits, endangered species, and dam safety/waterway encroachment permits. 

Diana handles a wide-variety of legal matters for a diverse group of clients, from large Fortune 100 companies, local, regional and family-owned businesses, and public entities. She has worked on some of the most significant matters for the firm, including several litigation and regulatory compliance matters involving the permitting and construction of a multi-billion-dollar energy infrastructure project in Pennsylvania. 

Diana is a magna cum laude graduate of Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law, where she served as a teaching assistant for Civil Procedure and the Academic Skills program and was also a member of the Drexel Law Review.  She returned to Drexel as an adjunct professor where she currently teaches Toxic Torts Litigation.  She also stays involved at St. Joseph’s University as a member of the Advisory Board of the College of Arts and Sciences, the President of its Law Alumni Chapterm and a member of the Real Estate and Construction Alumni Chapter

In 2020, Diana was recognized as one of only five attorneys nationwide by Law360’s Rising Stars in the Environmental Law category.  She was also named in The Legal Intelligencer "2017 Lawyers on the Fast Track" listing, as one of only 32 attorneys receiving that honor, and was also recently included as a 2022 40 Under Forty Honoree by AL DÍA magazine.  Diana has also been included in The Best Lawyers® in America listing (environmental law/litigation), since 2024, after listings on the Best Lawyers® "Ones to Watch" (environmental litigation), 2021-2023. She has also been on the Pennsylvania Super Lawyers “Rising Star” (environmental law and litigation) list, since 2014.

During law school, Diana participated in Drexel’s co-op program and worked in Exelon’s legal department, a leading national energy company and the parent of multiple local electric utilities, including southeastern Pennsylvania’s PECO.  She also served as a judicial intern for the Hon. L. Felipe Restrepo, then of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, now a judge with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Before entering law school, Diana was a municipal planner and grant coordinator for the Borough of Norristown’s Planning & Municipal Development Department in Montgomery County. 

Diana is a first-generation child of Portuguese immigrants and is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese.

Representative examples of Diana's experience include the following:

• representation of one of the largest international pipeline entities, including environmental compliance counseling, project management, and litigation defense in several forums;

• defense of subsidiaries of Tenneco, Inc. as both trial and appellate counsel in action brought by group of parties remediating a contaminated site in New Jersey; plaintiffs asserted statutory claims under the New Jersey Spill Act and common law contract claims; achieved successful summary judgment dismissal of statutory New Jersey Spill Act claims; proceeded to bench trial on remaining contract claims, and received judgment of no cause of action and dismissal of all remaining claims; successful defense of appeal before the New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division, which affirmed trial court judgment (AGIP USA Inc. et al., v. The Pullman Company et al., Union County, Dkt. No. L-3530-10, Appellate Div. Dkt. No. A-0173-16T1, 2020 WL 1908509, at *1 (N.J. Super. Ct. App. Div. Apr. 20, 2020)).

• defense and resolution of claims asserted under the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (“CERCLA”), the Clean Water Act, the New Jersey Spill Compensation and Control Act, the New Jersey Solid Waste Management Act, the New Jersey Environmental Rights Act, the Pennsylvania Clean Streams Law, and the Pennsylvania Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act;

• defense of environmental class actions;

• defense of toxic tort litigation for personal injury damages resulting from exposure to hazardous substances;

• appealing governmental enforcement actions for alleged violations of environmental regulations and local municipal ordinances;

• defense of citizen suits brought under the Clean Air Act;

• assisting clients with analysis of OSHA regulatory requirements;

• representing clients in contract disputes and other matters;

• challenges to promulgation of EPA regulatory programs in the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit;

• counseling clients regarding environmental permit obligations; and,

• representation of a multiple clients to obtain grant funding through the Philadelphia Water Department's stormwater retrofit grant programs, including grants awarded to date in excess of $6M.

• The Best Lawyers® in America listing (environmental law/litigation), since 2024 and Best Lawyers® "Ones to Watch" listing (environmental litigation), 2021-2023. The Best Lawyers list is issued by Woodward/White Inc. Click here to view the selection methodology.
• 2022 40 Under Forty Honoree by AL DÍA magazine.  Click here to view selection panel. 
  
  Law360’s Rising Star listing for 2020. Click here to view the selection methodology.
  
  The Legal Intelligencer "2017 Lawyers on the Fast Track" listing.  Click here to view the selection methodology.
  
• Pennsylvania Super Lawyers “Rising Star” listing (environmental law and litigation), since 2014. The Super Lawyers list is issued by Thomson Reuters. Click here to view the selection methodology.
  
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"PFAS and Marcellus Shale – How Federal and State Regulation of Forever Chemicals Could Impact the Oil & Gas Industry", presented at the Marcellus Shale Coalition's Shale Insight^TM Conference, Erie, PA, September 25, 2024

"ESG Trends and Global Regulatory Landscape", presented at the CPMA Sustainability & Innovation Forum, Hatfield, PA, September 18, 2024

"Navigating Ethics in the Evolving World of ESG", presented at the New Jersey Environmental Law Forum, Avalon, NJ, June 23, 2024

"Paying for Rain – The Advent of Municipal Stormwater Management Regulations, Mandates and Fee Structures," presented at the Railroad Environmental Conference in Champaign, IL, November 15, 2023

"Best Practices in Utilizing Technical Consultants and Experts: Avoiding Conflict and Maintaining Privilege", presented at the Association of Corporate Counsel Greater Philadelphia Ethics & Compliance Institute, Radnor, PA, August 3, 2023

"Coming to a Town Near You: Local Government and the Environmental Rights Amendment", presented at the Marcellus Shale Coalition's Shale Insight^TM Conference, Erie, PA, September 28, 2022

"Pennsylvania's Environmental Rights Amendment - How it Can Affect Your Oil & Gas Project," presented for the Appalachian Basin GPA Midstream Association, August 9, 2022

"Pennsylvania Water Laws and Regulations: Water Quality Issues Associated with Development and Construction ," a HalfMoon Education webinar, April 28, 2022

"Litigating Complex Issues Under the Scrutiny of Public Opinion - How to Win Each Battle and the War," presented at the Delaware Valley Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel's In-House Counsel Litigation Institute, virtual webinar, March 11, 2021

“Managing Your Liabilities and Risks: Today and Tomorrow,” presented at the Greater Philadelphia Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel's Health, BioTech & Pharma Law CLE Institute, King of Prussia, PA, July 18, 2018

"Managing/Organizing/Building a Litigation Case" presented at the Pennsylvania Bar Institute's 22nd Annual Environmental Law Forum, Harrisburg, PA, April 6, 2017