Ryan W. Trail

Ryan Trail helps manufacturers, industrial facilities, developers, commercial real estate owners, private equity firms, lenders and other businesses manage environmental risk so they can complete transactions, expand operations and achieve their business objectives confidently. He advises clients on complex environmental compliance, permitting, contaminated property, and regulatory enforcement matters, helping them reduce liability, avoid costly disruptions, and navigate ever-evolving federal and state environmental regulations.

Ryan regularly counsels clients on compliance with the Clean Air Act (CAA), the Clean Water Act (CWA), the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA or Superfund), the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), and the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). 

A significant portion of Ryan’s practice involves helping businesses obtain, modify, and maintain environmental permits, including air permits, National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits, industrial stormwater water permits, and other environmental authorizations necessary for facility construction, expansion and ongoing operations. He works proactively with clients to identify compliance risks before they become enforcement issues and develops practical, business-oriented solutions that allow companies to continue operating efficiently while meeting regulatory obligations.

Ryan also represents purchasers, sellers, developers, lenders and investors in commercial and industrial real estate transactions involving environmental risk. He advises clients on environmental due diligence, allocation of environmental liabilities, Brownfields redevelopment, voluntary cleanup programs, and contaminated property acquisitions. His experience allows clients to evaluate environmental risks early, structure transactions appropriately, and avoid unexpected liabilities after closing.

Ryan works regularly with federal and state environmental agencies, including U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (DES). 

He has been recognized for his environmental law practice in Greenville Business Magazine's "Legal Elite of the Upstate" (2014, 2019, 2021 and 2025) and Columbia Business Monthly’s "Legal Elite of the Midlands" (2020 and 2024). Ryan is recognized as an “Up & Coming” attorney for Environment by Chambers USA (2024-present). Ryan serves on the Greenville Chamber of Commerce’s Environmental Issues Committee and is active in organizations supporting South Carolina’s business community, including the South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance, the Employers Network, and the Carolinas Air Pollution Control Association.

Ryan earned his J.D. from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 2008. He graduated with his B.A. in History from Presbyterian College in 2004.