Rick Kuykendall, key litigator in the 2010 prosecution against BP, will speak on “The State of Environmental Law Through the Lens of BP” on April 24 in the Speaker’s Auditorium from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., according to a university news release.
Kuykendall was instrumental in providing settlements and payments, which totaled to $42.2 billion, for criminal and civil disputes against BP during its prosecution, according to Georgia State’s Recycling Coordinator Laurene Hamilton.
April 20 marks the four-year anniversary of the explosion that occurred on BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil rig, which was working on an exploration well for the company, according to BP’s website.
Eleven people were killed and seventeen others injured as a result of the explosion. This was also known as the largest oil spill in U.S. history, according to multiple news stories that reported on the incident.
Hamilton said that it’s a privilege for Kuykendall to address the university and his visit has also sparked publicity outside of the Georgia State community. She said this included a breakfast in his honor with the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association.
“We hope Mr. Kuykendall’s visit will bring light to the proceedings of this tragic event and highlight the link between environmental litigation and corporate sustainability responsibility,” Hamilton said.
Hamilton also said that she hopes students will take advantage of this exclusive opportunity to hear from an influential and prominent leader in the green law arena.
“Hearing his perspective on environmental litigation should resonate with students as consumers who need to advocate corporate sustainable accountability,” she said.
The free event will be hosted by Georgia State’s Office of Sustainability as part of Earth Week 2014.
