Cliff Chanler

Cliff Chanler founded his public interest law firm in 1991 to pursue his passion for environmental justice and to fill the void created by the government’s failure to enforce various consumer protection laws. Cliff has served as lead counsel in thousands of successful private enforcement actions involving hundreds of consumer products from different industries, including those targeting pregnant women and children. His efforts have resulted in the removal of previously-hidden harmful chemicals in tens of thousands of those products.

His clients focus exclusively on bringing claims under various whistleblower statutes including California’s right-to-know toxic initiative, Proposition 65, and the federal False Claims Act. His clients have advanced human health, righted fraud, and generated significant civil penalties for the state and federal government totaling well over $100 million.

Cliff has achieved a greater than ninety-five percent success rate in the cases he has brought on behalf of his clients. Under the False Claims Act and toxic right-to-know statutes, Cliff has prosecuted actions against many of the biggest corporations. He has fought to even the playing field between consumers and these companies, all of whom possess virtually unlimited resources and immense power to impede constructive change.

In his personal life, Cliff has promoted the efficient use of energy to protect the environment. In New Canaan, Connecticut, he built the largest residential PV solar array in New England using materials exclusively from the United States and Europe. He uses geothermal energy to warm and cool his house without the use of fossil fuels and generate all of the electricity needed to power their home and heat their water through the use of 170 mono-crystalline photovoltaic and thermal solar panels. He also installed electric car charging stations to replace fuel for their vehicles.

Cliff’s pursuit of environmental justice extends beyond the United States. Through his work, he has ensured that factories in China and other international locations take responsibility for the products they manufacture. After years of displacing American workers and creating huge carbon footprints from shipping products halfway around the globe that could have been made in the United States, Chinese and other foreign corporations are not being held accountable for both complying with American consumer product safety laws for the goods they produce and simultaneously creating rampant pollution. Cliff's work prosecuting Chinese manufacturers has received press from a variety of news sources, including an interview with Corporate Crime Reporter.

Cliff received his undergraduate degree at Duke University and completed his law degree in Colorado. He is admitted to practice in Connecticut and California. Before founding his law firm in 1991, Cliff practiced civil litigation and tried cases in several federal courts at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati and Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison. He has tried over a dozen whistleblower cases and appeared at all federal and state appellate levels, including in the United States Supreme Court.

His free time is devoted to his family. Cliff has two beautiful daughters, Casey and Catalina, who are 14 and 7, respectively. He has also raised several Aussies. Cliff splits his time during the year between his primary residence in New Canaan, Connecticut, and his house in Mill Valley, California. Cliff also loves to ski, bike and hike; play tennis and basketball; and listen to music.

Contact Information:

Email: clifford@chanler.com; Phone: (510) 848-8880; Office: Berkeley

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