Concord, NH – Attorney General John M. Formella is proud to congratulate Senior Assistant Attorney General (SAAG) K. Allen Brooks for being chosen as a recipient of the 2023 Outstanding Service in Public Sector Law Award.

This annual award is presented by the New Hampshire Bar to a statewide nominee who exhibits outstanding service to the public and who has at least five years of service in government, military, law enforcement, or public interest law services, or at another nonprofit organization.

SAAG Brooks has been an attorney at the New Hampshire Department of Justice since 2004 and Bureau Chief of the State’s Environmental Protection Bureau since 2008. He has spent nearly his whole career as a civil servant working to protect New Hampshire’s environment and natural resources.

“We are very proud to have Allen Brooks as a leader here at the New Hampshire Department of Justice. Many of Allen’s long hours and selfless public service efforts are largely behind the scenes, so it is incredible to see his devoted environmental protection work recognized and amplified by his peers,” said Attorney General Formella. “Over the years Allen has worked to secure hundreds of millions of dollars to protect and restore New Hampshire’s environment and has engaged in tireless efforts to protect the State’s natural resources and secure a safe and healthy environment for the people of New Hampshire. I congratulate him for this honor and thank him for all he has contributed to the Department of Justice and the State of New Hampshire.”

Some of SAAG Brooks’ more notable accomplishments include:

• Overseeing and participating in litigation against most of the world’s major oil companies for MtBE contamination of groundwater in the case of State v. Exxon, et. al. resulting in $135 million in settlements and a judgment of $340 million dollars after trial to help clean up New Hampshire’s drinking water supply.
• Successfully defending the judgement in that case at the New Hampshire Supreme Court and preserved the judgments for the State.
• Leading New Hampshire’s efforts in coordination with 46 other states in Volkswagen’s illegal “defeat devices” litigation resulting in tens of millions of dollars for New Hampshire.
• Reaching a settlement in the case of State v. St. Gobain to secure $32 million in remediation efforts for PFAS in drinking water, ensuring access to safe drinking water for New Hampshire citizens in the affected areas.

SAAG Brooks’ colleagues in the Environmental Protection Bureau nominated him for the award. They say in his twenty years with the State, he has worked tirelessly to safeguard public interest in New Hampshire’s environment and natural resources. He has devoted his career to stewarding environmental resources for New Hampshire citizens and holding those who harm the environment accountable for their actions. He works for the people of New Hampshire each day in a role that is closely linked to quality of life and safety for everyone in the State.