It is with great sadness that we inform you of the death of David Buente, our steadfast colleague and friend. We remember David for his exemplary legal prowess and numerous contributions to the firm and the profession.
David joined the firm as a partner in 1990 in the Environmental Practice and transitioned to senior counsel in 2023. Before joining Sidley, David served 15 years as an environmental prosecutor, including as Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section, for the Department of Justice (DOJ). He represented numerous corporations, including AES, American Electric Power, CSX, Duke Energy, Exxon Mobil, Ford Motors, General Electric, Harley Davidson, Honeywell, Norfolk Southern, Tyson Foods, and Vineyard Wind—all of whom trusted David to represent them in complex federal environmental enforcement matters with the DOJ and EPA. In addition to serving 34 years as partner and senior counsel, David was a leader of the Environmental Practice for many years. He also served on several firm committees, including the Professional Risk Management and Practice Development committees.
David was routinely recognized as a leader in his field, including as Best Lawyers’ Washington, D.C. Environmental Law “Lawyer of the Year” from 2012–2016. Chambers USA named him as one of the nation’s Leading Lawyers every year since 2006. According to his peers, in the area of civil and criminal enforcement, “no one has as much knowledge of the issues and history of those issues as David Buente.”