Alana Fortna Plays Long Game of Environmental Remediation

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Environmental law is complicated, rigorous, and time-consuming, with each matter having several moving parts and input from a variety of stakeholders. “It’s a very robust process. It takes evaluation, strategy, and coordination with the EPA and other agencies,” says Alana Fortna, Vice President, Counsel, Environmental at Paramount Global.

Fortna manages Paramount’s portfolio of legacy environmental sites related to historic discontinued operations, which involves remedial site compliance nationwide. Remediation under CERCLA, the federal statutory regime that governs environmental remediation of historical contaminated sites, is directed by the EPA, a state agency, or both. Every step of the process requires Fortna to seek approval from a variety of agencies. “These sites are complex. We’re always looking for the most efficient and effective solutions to remedial approaches at our legacy sites. Any innovation, new approach, or different concept can naturally be met with some consternation,” says Fortna.

Her skill and leadership in navigating these complex projects have not gone unnoticed. As Donald C. Bluedorn II, Managing Shareholder at Babst Calland, observes, “As a former colleague and now a client, I know Alana to be an extraordinary person and lawyer. I am consistently impressed with her legal acumen as she applies practical approaches to navigating any legal, environmental or regulatory challenge. Babst Calland applauds Alana’s contribution to Paramount’s demonstrated commitment to sustainability.”

Environmental law was not on Fortna’s radar growing up, but the environment was. As a child, she and her family vacationed at state parks, lodging in cabins, hiking, fishing, and canoeing. “That’s what we did every single summer. I think that was obviously a value that my parents, and my father in particular, had. That was passed on to me as a kid, and I really carried that through into adulthood,” says Fortna. Today she and her husband, who shares her views on the environment, are passing those values to their daughter. “We love taking trips to national parks with her. She has junior ranger badges from seven or eight national parks,” says Fortna. Applying her personal values on the environment to her career has made it more meaningful and enjoyable.

Many of Paramount’s legacy sites stem from industrial operations dating back into the late 1800s and early 1900s, giving Fortna’s job a historical aspect that appeals to her. “My practice of law involves a blend of history, science, and law. I’m dealing with these historical operations, some of them date back to the industrial revolution in America. This is like History Channel stuff. Think of the show “The Men Who Built America,” she says.

Fortna started her law career in 2010 at Babst Calland as a litigator. She gravitated toward environmental matters, specifically practicing in CERCLA sites, which was a traditionally male-dominated field of practice.  At Babst Calland, she had many “phenomenal mentors and champions,” all of whom were men. One in particular, she says, sparked her interest in environmental remediation and taught her the ropes. Exuding confidence since childhood, Fortna soon found herself in a position of trust, proving to Babst’s leadership and clients, one of which was Paramount Global, that she could manage massive, complicated sites with remedial action. She was representing numerous clients at Superfund sites with combined estimated remedial price tags running up into the hundreds of millions of dollars.

Proving herself as a younger attorney to clients on large spend projects was one challenge she faced. Another challenge for her personally was that she straddled both the environmental regulatory practice group and the litigation group. “I was kind of this hybrid attorney, and I felt like I didn’t really quite belong or fit nicely into one specific practice group,” says Fortna. This sometimes felt like her own personal dichotomy until she realized it was really a good thing to be a true hybrid of two groups.   

Having one foot in litigation and one in environmental helped Fortna to hone skills as a lawyer that would benefit her in her current role while also carving out the niche that would define her sixteen-year career. Her law career fully blossomed when her mentor, with an eye toward retirement, stepped back and put her in the spotlight. “I really had to step up and lead. It was challenging and a little nerve-wracking at the time. But I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. It really benefited me by allowing me to progress so much quicker and get such a deeper level of expertise because of the way he put me out there and just kind of turned me loose. That was a real turning point for me,” says Fortna.

Fortna describes Paramount’s legacy operations group as a mostly flat structure in which her team members are empowered with autonomy by their boss, who oversees their group. They are a lean group who work incredibly well together, with a great deal of trust and confidence in each other to get the job done right. She manages her legacy sites with confidence and curiosity and directs her outside legal and technical teams with clear communication that sets her expectations. “If you present your ideas thoughtfully, clearly, and with confidence, it’s going to help everybody move the ball forward and keeping everyone on the same page and going in the same direction. If people don’t know what you expect of them, then they aren’t likely to do what you expect of them,” says Fortna. She advises young lawyers to focus on career development and leadership, with realistic goals that fit your personality and character traits. “Make yourself indispensable to your organization, which is what I did with my practice. It’s still carrying through today. That’s a home run for career development and leadership and growth,” says Fortna. 

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