Michael A. Wiegard

Overview

Michael Wiegard practices in the areas of product safety regulation and litigation and environmental law. He represents product manufacturers and distributors in regulatory proceedings, investigations, and enforcement actions by various federal agencies, including the Consumer Product Safety Commission, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, and U.S. Coast Guard, as well as with respect to congressional hearings and legislation.

Representative Matters

• Development and implementation of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, including rulemakings, requests for exclusion, stays of enforcement, agency guidance and interpretations, and possible technical amendments.
• Advising clients on voluntary standards development, compliance with mandatory standards, defect and hazard notification requirements, and related product liability considerations.
• Representing clients in defect investigations by CPSC and NHTSA.
• Reporting product recalls and negotiating for agency approval of corrective action programs.
• Responding to NHTSA information requests under the TREAD Act.
• Contesting agency release of company-related documents and information in response to FOIA requests.
• Regulatory proceedings and litigation involving environmental access restrictions on recreational products.
• Counseling clients on compliance with OSHA standards and defending against OSHA enforcement actions.
• Advising on implementation of environmental auditing programs, voluntary reporting of environmental violations, and civil penalty settlements.
• Compliance with hazardous waste regulations and asbestos-in-buildings requirements.