Brett Sago

About Brett Sago

I joined the Health, Safety, Environment and Security (HSES) section of the Eastman Law Department in June 2003, and by December 2014, was asked to lead this team of high-performing HSES lawyers. Our team counsels Eastman’s Global HSE staff and senior leaders on complex environmental laws, policies, and regulations. I coordinate the team’s execution of compliance counseling and training, due diligence, privileged investigations, and enforcement defense. As an individual contributor, I focus on Clean Air Act (CAA) compliance, advocacy and enforcement. I work closely with, advise and recommend compliance strategies to Eastman’s Board of Directors, C-suite executives, business organizations, government relations, communications, community affairs, sustainability/ESG and Global HSE teams regarding a multitude of HSE legal regimes.I am a leader on numerous intra-company teams including those focused on HSES advocacy and auditing, sustainability, climate change, COVID-19 and several Eastman circular economy and advanced recycling platform teams, including Eastman\'s advocacy on the FTC\'s Green Guides. I currently serve as the Vice Treasurer of the Eastman Chemical Company Political Action Committee.I have extensive CAA, Clean Water Act, Superfund and Emergency Response-related compliance counseling experience in multiple domestic jurisdictions (e.g, federal and state, including in AR, FL, IL, LA, MA, MI, NY, PA, SC, TN, TX & VA) and have advised Eastman on similar matters in the EMEA and Asia Pacific regions. My litigation experience includes representing Eastman in HSE-related and other commercial litigation, such as the defense of environmental enforcement matters involving the DOJ, numerous EPA Regions (e.g, Regions IV, V, VI & IX) and state environmental agencies. I have led the challenge to environmental permits both domestically and abroad. My HSE buyer/seller due diligence experience is similarly broad and includes the $2.8 billion acquisition of Taminco Inc. to the 2022 sale of the former Solutia Inc. Trenton, MI site to a brownfield redeveloper.I successfully completed a rotational assignment in Eastman’s Government Relations organization as Public Policy Director. In this capacity, I coordinated Eastman’s position on public policy issues including energy and climate change, taxation, chemical control and environmental regulation, and global trade.I am admitted to practice law in North Carolina and Tennessee, am married, have two children and reside in Kingsport, Tennessee.

Experience

1. VP & Agc, Hse Legal Services and Global Product Stewardship & Regulatory Affairs

   Eastman

   Feb 2025 — Present

Education

• Tulane University Law School

  JD, Law

  1995 — 1998

• Trinity University

  BA, Political Science/Communications

  1989 — 1993

Skills

• Strategic Planning
• Management
• Public Speaking
• Corporate Governance
• Leadership