Ms. Sims, 54, may be the most surprising legal figure to emerge as the world grapples with the devastating impacts of a warming planet.
And she is now the singular force behind a creative legal gambit to make oil and gas companies pay for the devastation being wrought by climate change in Puerto Rico.
Her strategy is being carefully watched by the fossil fuel industry and environmental groups as well as other lawyers and municipalities.
The lawsuit she filed in November goes after a who’s who of the fossil fuel industry — Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Royal Dutch Shell, BP and others.
The case is part of a new wave of litigation targeting oil, gas and coal companies over climate change, which is driven by the burning of their products.
Persons:
Sims
Organizations:
Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Royal, Shell
Locations:
Puerto Rico