Norman Dupont

Norman Dupont
Phone: (949) 202-5818
Location: 3150 Bristol Street, Suite 220, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
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Norman Dupont

Partner

Norman (Norm) Dupont is a partner at Ring Bender, where he advises public and private clients in environmental matters and a variety of litigation matters. Norm was named “Lawyer of the Year” for Environmental Law-Orange County for 2023.” Mr. Dupont has over 39 years experience in the environmental law field, including the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation & Liability Act (“CERCLA”), the Resources Conservation and Recovery Act, amendments to the Solid Waste Disposal Act (“RCRA”), the Clean Water Act, the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act, California Proposition 65 claims, brownfield redevelopment projects, California Hazardous Substance Account Act (HSAA) claims, stormwater discharges from MS4 systems, and suits alleging common law tort or toxic tort claims.

Best Lawyers Logo - Norman DupontMr. Dupont has tried a variety of cases including environmental, antitrust, contract, labor and tort cases both in bench trials and juries. His recent cases can be seen in the Representative Matters tab.

Mr. Dupont is the Publications Officer for the Section of Environment, Energy and Resources of the ABA where he supervises all publications of the Section. He also serves on the separate ABA Cybersecurity Task Force. He is a member of the Orange County Bar’s environmental law section. He previously served from 2019-2022 on the ABA Standing Committee on Publications Oversight.

Mr. Dupont actively participates in his community. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Women Against Gun Violence, a Los Angeles-based education and advocacy group which supports sensible gun regulation in the country’s second largest municipal jurisdiction. Previously, Mr. Dupont served as president of his local home owners association for approximately ten years.

Mr. Dupont has written and lectured extensively on a variety of environmental issues, including recent EPA regulations on greenhouse gas emissions and U.S. Supreme Court cases deciding environmental law issues. His list of articles can be seen in the Publications tab, while his presentations can be seen in the Civic Activities tab.

Representative Matters

  • City of Riverside v. Rubidoux Community Services Dist. (2017-ongoing): This breach of contract claim turned on environmental issues including new regulations of the discharge of treated wastewater by a regional wastewater treatment facility located in Riverside California. A bench trial was held in 2017-2018. Ring Bender (Patrick “Kit” Bobko, Norm Dupont and Jay Tufano) then completed appellate briefing in April 2023. The case is now waiting for oral argument and a decision before California’s Fourth Appellate District, Division 3.
  • Bradford v. City of Compton (2016-2022):Jury trial with a defense verdict in favor of municipal defendant on labor discrimination/retaliation claims. After remand from the Court of Appeal, a second trial resulted in verdict for plaintiff. In October 2021, the Court of Appeal reversed the jury verdict and thereby remanded the case for further proceedings.  In January 2022, the California Supreme Court denied Plaintiff’s petition for review. In June 2022, the California Court of Appeal granted a summary reversal of an award of attorneys’ fees to plaintiff’s lawyers in the second trial.
  • Center for Environmental Health v. Easy Spirit LLC (2022):This California state case is based on Proposition 65 and involves claims against licensors, manufacturers, retailers, and distributors of socks that allegedly contain a compound known to the State of California to be a listed toxicant.
  • Edwards Lifesciences LLC v. Regional Water Quality Control Board (2020):Writ of administrative mandate challenging order issued by Regional Board in 2018 concerning real property in Orange County. The Superior Court granted the writ, and the Regional Board subsequently rescinded its order in lieu of any appeal.
  • Hermosa Fitness LLP v. City of Hermosa Beach (2020-2021): Dupont served as co-counsel to plaintiff, which filed a writ of administrative mandate in state court together with a federal court section 1983 civil rights claim against the City of Hermosa Beach after a municipal resolution effectively closed Hermosa Fitness’ gym operating in the City. The writ of mandate was issued by the trial court, and the federal section 1983 case was mediated before a federal magistrate judge in the Central District of California and was settled in 2021.
  • Orange County Water Dist. v. SABIC Innovative Plastics US, LLC (2011-ongoing):In 2013 an initial bench trial resulted in a defense verdict on state Superfund (HSAA) claims alleging groundwater against multiple corporate defendants. This decision was reversed in part by Orange County Water Dist. v. SABIC Innovative Plastics, US, LLC, 14 Cal.App.5th 343 (2017) and remanded back to the trial court. Currently a bench trial is proceeding before the Orange County Superior Court (Complex Civil Division).
  • Vazquez v. City of Pomona and Dennis Cooper (2021-2022): Dupont served as co-counsel with Mr. Bobko of the firm for an individual defendant in the City’s police department, Captain Cooper, in a combined employment and tort case. In June 2022, the trial court granted summary judgment to defendant Cooper.

Professional Affiliations

  • ABA Publication Officer for the Section of Environment, Energy and Resources
  • ABA Standing Committee on Publications Oversight
  • ABA Cybersecurity Task Force
  • Orange County Bar’s Environmental Law Section
  • Women Against Gun Violence – Board of Directors
  • Local Home Owners Association – Past President for approximately ten years

Recent Presentations

Publications

Education

  • B.A., Stanford University (1975) with Distinction, Phi Beta Kappa.
  • J.D., Georgetown University Law Center (1978) magna cum laude

Bar Admissions

  • California