JD Journal » environmental law

Van Ness Feldman and GordonDerr Announce Merger

rebneely — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 14:30:53 +0000

Van Ness Feldman and GordonDerr LLP announced in recent days that the two law firms will merge, and will use the name Van Ness Feldman, A Professional Corporation. The merger is expected to be effective by the end of the first quarter of 2012. In transition, Van Ness Feldman’s Seattle office will operate under the name Van Ness Feldman GordonDerr.

The merger will enable the combined firm to assist a wide, national range of clients in the areas of developing natural resource, energy, infrastructure, and sustainable real estate projects.

Van Ness Feldman is a nationally and regionally recognized energy, environment, transportation and natural resources law and public policy firm with offices in Seattle and Washington, DC. The firm also maintains a highly regarded health care policy practice. GordonDerr is a preeminent real estate, land use, water law, and civil litigation firm located in Seattle. The combined firm will have 116 professionals and 175 total employees firmwide, with 27 professionals and 40 total employees in Seattle.

Howard Feldman, Van Ness Feldman’s co-founder and Chairman, was quoted as saying in the December 14^th marketwatch.com press release: “This is a great moment in each firm’s distinguished history. We are proud to take the next step in our growth in Seattle by joining with a firm that provides our clients, both regionally and nationally, with the added benefit of GordonDerr’s comprehensive capabilities in supporting strategic planning and decision-making.”

Jay Derr, GordonDerr’s Managing Partner, who will lead the combined firm’s Seattle office was quoted as saying: “More and more, the development and regulatory needs of our clients are triggering federal agency involvement. This can be through federal laws and regulations such as the Endangered Species Act, Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act and the like, or through the need to shape policy or secure appropriations from Washington, DC. Energy policy, the increased emphasis on renewable energy, climate change and sustainable design and construction issues arise with increasing frequency in the work we do with clients in the Pacific Northwest. Our clients and prospective clients — be they developers, investors, municipalities, port authorities, special use districts, or other entities — will benefit from Van Ness Feldman’s substantive expertise and its prominent position with policymakers and regulators in Washington, DC.”

Rick Agnew, who currently manages Van Ness Feldman’s Seattle office and will become the firm’s national Chairman on January 1, 2012, was quoted as saying: “This combination offers great value and benefits for each firm and its clients. Both firms are known as leaders in their areas of practice, our cultures mesh well, and we will now offer a broader array of services to clients. Moreover, our enhanced Seattle platform will provide even more support for Pacific Northwest regional work, including our work on energy and natural resource projects in Alaska and for Alaska Native interests generally.”

Van Ness Feldman was founded in 1977, and has nearly 100 professionals in Washington, DC and Seattle, WA. The firm assists clients with managing their interactions with the U.S. government and structure successful projects, investments, and commercial ventures.

Founded in Seattle in 1979, GordonDerr is a preeminent Pacific Northwest law firm concentrating in real estate, land use, environmental law, water law, and civil litigation.

17 Howrey Attorneys Join Baker Hostetler

rebneely — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 14:22:29 +0000

Robert G. Abrams, former co-chair of Howrey’s Global Litigation Practice, along with 16 Howrey antitrust and environmental law attorneys have joined Baker Hostetler’s Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles offices.

Seven partners, four counsel and four associates possessing significant antitrust and environmental practice strengths will join the Firm in Washington, D.C. They include Robert G. Abrams, who will serve as the head of Baker Hostetler’s national antitrust practice, and the following individuals, who all join as partners: Gregory L. Baker, Robert J. Brookhiser, Gregory J. Commins Jr., Gilbert S. Keteltas, , Elizabeth B. McCallum and Terry L. Sullivan.

Joanne E. Caruso and Joanne Lichtman have joined the Los Angeles office as partners. They each have significant antitrust, commercial litigation and environmental experience.

National Executive Partner Steven Kestner was quoted as saying in a press release at the firm’s website that: “The addition of Bob Abrams and this highly respected team is another significant step forward for Baker Hostetler’s Washington and Los Angeles offices, our Firm and our clients. These attorneys bring the experience and client relationships that complement and broaden our national litigation team as we deliver the highest quality legal counsel on the most complex and critical issues facing clients today.”

John F. Bruce, William T. DeVinney, Danyll W. Foix and Monica B. Lateef join the Firm as Counsel. Associates joining the Firm are Carey S. Busen, Evan M. Mannering, Bridget S. Merritt and Jocelyn R. Roy.

With over 700 attorneys, global law firm Baker Hostetler serves clients in such diverse industries as hospitality, healthcare, financial services, media, energy, sports and technology.

Five Attorneys from Bingham McCutchen Move to Perkins Coie in San Francisco

aostler — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 23:43:37 +0000

Five land use attorneys have now been added to Perkins Coie and have become a part of its Environment, Energy, and Resources practice. This week the San Francisco office gained partners Matt Gray, Barbara Schussman, Geoff Robinson, and Cecily Barclay, as well as Of Counsel Steve Kostka, all formerly part of Bingham McCutchen.

Tom Lindley, Environment, Energy and Resources Chair, said “We have expanded our national energy, environment and resources capabilities by adding California’s premier CEQA, NEPA, land use and development group.”

Gray has been focused on defending and securing entitlements for redevelopment on waterfront areas, as well as urban and retail projects that are mixed use. Land use, CEQA, and NEPA advice and defense to any public or private group which is working on development for energy, institutional, and infrastructure projects is what Schussman brings to the table. Robinson has worked with zoning and planning law, getting financing for public facilities, and administration and civil proceedings. Barclay is great in helping agencies and developers navigate in entitlement projects that are very complex. And when it comes to the California Environmental Quality Act, Kostka is the leading expert in the field. Collectively, they have worked on many development projects that are very high profile in the state of California.

Says Tom Lindley about these new additions to the firm and what their impact will be, “Our new colleagues bring even greater depth to the services that we provide our clients.”

Columbus Office of Dinsmore & Shohl to Add Two New Partners

ashley — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:00:08 +0000

Dinsmore & Shohl LLP welcome Charles Freiburger and Boyd Moehring to the firm’s Columbus office in the Corporate Department and Securities Practice Group. Formerly, Freiburger and Moehring were partners with Thompson Hine LLP.

Founded in 1908 in Cincinatti, Ohio, Dinsmore & Shohl is becoming more and more influential in the state. Now, with 48 lawyers, the firm is the tenth largest in Central Ohio and second largest in Dayton. With 450 attorneys overall, branches can also be found in Kentuky, Pennsylvania and West Virginia as well.

With more than 50 years experience between the two, adding Freiburger and Moehring can only be a boon to the firm. Managing partner of the Columbus office of Dinsmore & Shohl, Don Leach, says, “We are thrilled to have two such high quality and well established attorneys joining us.”

Since 1972, Freiburger has gained much experience working on environmental law, including with the Ohio EPA. He has also Conversely, Moehring has focused on business matters and real estate with clients from California, Florida, Las Vegas, New York, and others.

Leach says, “We continue to be excited about the opportunities in Columbus, and adding Chuck and Boyd is a huge step in continuing our growth here.”

Morning Roundup

joshua — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 12:56:09 +0000

Good morning everyone! Today is Monday, August 16th. Here’s a quick look back at Friday’s stories.

Baron & Budd, P.C. will represent Louisianans in upcoming case against BP…

A survey by the Minority Corporate Counsel Association revealed the number of Fortune 500 companies with female general counsels reached an all-time high this year…

King & Spalding applied for government permission to open an office in Singapore…

Skadden added a partner in its Washington, D.C. Office…

Baron & Budd, P.C. to Represent Louisianans in Upcoming Case Against BP

joshua — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 17:03:04 +0000

Known for taking on big oil, Baron & Budd, P.C. will be representing numerous Louisianans in the upcoming case against BP concerning the calamitous Gulf Oil Spill. Baron & Budd’s motto “Protecting What’s Right” spans back to the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill proceedings of 1989 when Baron & Budd attorney Brent Rosenthal represented the National Wildlife Federation. A short year later, the Oil Pollution Act became law, allowing those economically affected by an oil spill to receive benefits from the spill’s responsible party.

Now, environmental attorney and Baton Rouge native Burton LeBlanc of Baron & Budd has been retained to represent the people and business owners of Louisiana affected by the spill. According to the firm’s website, the shareholder and head of the Baton Rouge office says, “Fighting companies the size and wealth of Halliburton or BP takes tremendous resources and Baron & Budd has amassed a team of expert witnesses who can determine not only present value losses, but difficult to calculate long-term economic losses.”

Though the Gulf Oil Spill may put out fewer total gallons than the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, the former may actually have a greater impact on the environment due to the many endangered species and susceptibility of the wildlife in the Mississippi River delta. Burton LeBlanc is confident, “We know how to get this job done and, importantly, have a tremendous familiarity with the ecology of the Louisiana coast. We are honored and proud to represent the great state of Louisiana and my home in this extremely important process.”

Morning Roundup

joshua — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 10:36:42 +0000

Good morning everyone! Today is Monday, July 26th. Here’s a look back at Friday’s stories.

New Jersey-based firm Archer & Greiner named a new president…

According to NALP’s Jobs & JD’s report released this week, employment is down but salaries are holding steady for law graduates…

A partner in the Dallas firm of Gruber Hurst Johansen Hail was selected as one of the nation’s “Most Powerful Employment Attorneys…

Dinsmore & Shohl added three new associates to its IP practice…

Greenberg Traurig Bolsters Tampa Environmental Practice

joshua — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 17:13:49 +0000

Vincent A. Marchetti, a member of the Tampa Sports Authority Board and a former senior assistant Hillsborough County Attorney, has joined the Tampa office of international law firm Greenberg Traurig, P.A. Marchetti joins as shareholder in the firm’s environmental and governmental affairs practice groups.

Certified by The Florida Bar as a specialist in City, County, and Local Government Law, Marchetti’s practice will focus on land use, zoning, permitting, land use litigation, and governmental affairs. Marchetti was formerly chairman of the Tampa Sports Authority and currently serves on its board. In that role he has worked on matters involving a Major League Baseball spring training facility and an NFL stadium.

“Vin is a highly experienced attorney who has played a major role in the development of some of the largest land use projects in the Tampa Bay region and the State of Florida,” said David Weinstein, managing shareholder of the office. “His knowledge of Hillsborough County and local and regional government brings an added dimension to our office and practices, with the goal of benefitting our clients.”

Greenberg Traurig’s Tampa office has grown from four to 21 lawyers since its opening in August 2006. Overall, the firm has approximately 1,775 attorneys serving clients from more than 30 offices in the U.S., Europe and Asia.

Morning Roundup

sara — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 11:24:55 +0000

Good morning everyone! Today is Thursday, April 1, and here’s a look back at yesterday’s news…

Bestattorneysonline.com announce the top ten environmental law firms in Alaska…

The Entrepreneurs Law Group is formed in South Carolina to advise businesses and individuals…

42 of 58 county district attorneys in California oppose the nomination of Goodwin Liu to the Ninth Circuit…

Linklaters is returning to lockstep compensation for it’s associates…

Quarles & Brady open an office in Tampa, Florida…

Weil Gotshal & Manges earn big bucks in the Lehman bankruptcy case…

A federal judge in Boston has ruled that mutual fund companies are subject to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act…

A U.S. District Court judge ruled that wiretaps were illegally installed on phones owned by the Islamic Foundation under the now ended Terrorist Surveillance Program…

Former Partners in Alston Bird Launch New Firm

joshua — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 18:46:30 +0000

Four former partners in Alston & Bird have launched Mowrey Meezan Coddington Cloud. The new firm, with offices in Atlanta and Washington D.C. will focus on environmental, climate change and energy issues.

Bob Mowrey, Dave Meezan, Kipp Coddington and Doug Cloud bring over 60 years of BigLaw experience to the new firm. Mowrey chaired two practice groups while at Alston & Bird and helped build that firm’s reputation for environmental services; Meezan is a former chair of the Georgia State Bar Environmental Section; Coddington is considered a leading climate and energy lawyer, while Cloud brings experience defending clients in federal and state enforcement proceedings.

“We formed this venture to provide clients with focused entrepreneurial legal services on cutting-edge environmental, climate change, and energy issues,” Bob Mowrey said in a news release. “The legal market has changed significantly over the past several years, and we took this step to maximize our ability to meet and exceed our clients’ needs and expectations.”

Greenberg Traurig Picks up Five from Ballard Spahr

joshua — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:21:11 +0000

A five person environmental law practice group has moved from Ballard Spahr to Greeberg Traurig in Philladelphia. The Philladelphia office, which opened in 1997, now has fifteen attorneys that once practiced at Ballard Spahr. David Mandlebaum, who had been the practice group leader at Ballard Spahr, said that Greenberg Traurig’s geographical footprint was better suited to an environmental practice.

Greenberg Traurig LLP is an international, full-service law firm with more than 1,800 attorneys and governmental affairs professionals in the US, Europe and Asia.

Anderson Kill Expands Insurance Recovery Practice

Erik Even — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 17:13:38 +0000

Anderson Kill Wood & Bender has hired two insurance recovery attorneys for its Ventura, California office.

Arnold Barba joins from the dissolved Brown Winfield Canzoneri Abram, where he practiced business and real estate litigation. He is currently an Adjunct Professor of Law at Pepperdine University School of Law in Malibu. Barba received his JD from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law.

Jeff G. Coyner focuses on environmental law. He worked in the environmental sciences before earning his law degree from Golden Gate University Law, where he was editor of the Law Review.

In January, Anderson Kill & Olick merged with Wood & Bender, operating as Anderson Kill & Olick; but the Ventura office operates as Anderson Kill Wood & Bender.

Anderson Kill & Olick is based in New York City, and has offices in Greenwich, Newark, Philadelphia, Ventura, and Washington DC.

UC Irvine Law Gets $2 Million for Environmental Law Clinic

Erik Even — Wed, 27 May 2009 20:11:09 +0000

The University of California, Irvine School of Law has received a $2 million grant to start an Environmental Law Clinic, the first of several legal clinics envisioned for the new law school.

An anonymous foundation provided $2 million to create an Environmental Law Clinic to further the public interest in areas of environmental law, environmental health and environmental sustainability.

The clinic will give students an opportunity to do hands-on environmental legal and policy work. Students will work under the close supervision of trained lawyers and experienced professors. The legal clinic will be closely associated with the UCI Program in Public Health.

The University of California, Irvine School of Law is the law school at the University of California, Irvine. When its first class enters in Fall 2009, it will be the fifth law school in the UC system and the first public law school to open in California in 40 years.

Sidley Austin Attorney Moves To Constellation Energy

Erik Even — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 20:42:27 +0000

James L. Connaughton, former chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality and former partner in the environmental practice group at Sidley Austin, has been named executive vice president of corporate affairs and public and environmental policy for Constellation Energy.

In this position, which is brand new, Connaughton will direct all environmental and energy policy matters related to the company. He will report to Michael J. Walace, vice chairman of Constellation Energy.

“Jim has an extraordinary track record as a visionary environmental and energy policy leader,” said Mayo A. Shattuck III, chairman, president and chief executive officer, Constellation Energy. “He brings a well-earned reputation as a bipartisan problem-solver, who can manage the complexities of critical business, economic and policy matters from the strategy phase through implementation. To be an energy leader, our company must be an environmental leader – they are one in the same, and that’s the commitment we make to all of our stakeholders.”

While at Sidley Austin, Connaughton played an integral role in the creation of the ISO 14000 series of international environmental management and performance standards.

US Attorney for Colorado Leaves to Join Private Practice [Video]

Erik Even — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 00:01:25 +0000

From LawCrossing:

United States Attorney for Colorado Troy A. Eid has announced his plan to resign and return to private law practice. The move is effective midnight on Monday, January 19th.

Eid, an environmental attorney and Adjunct Professor in American Indian Law at the University of Colorado School of Law, will be a litigation partner in the national law firm Greenberg Traurig LLP.

Previously he worked at the firm as a litigation partner from 2003 through 2006.

In the Colorado U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eid’s has quadrupled statewide federal prosecutions of child pornographers and sexual predators, and earned the U.S. Department of Justice’s highest awards in each of the last two years.

– Jillian Manning

Nixon Peabody’s Graf Defects to Greenberg Traurig

Erik Even — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 23:23:48 +0000

Greenberg Traurig LLP has announced that Jessica Graf has joined its Boston office as a shareholder in the Environmental, Energy and Project Finance practice groups. Graf joins from Nixon Peabody LLP.

Graf’s practice is concentrated in the areas of energy project finance and development, environmental law, land use, and real estate. Her experience encompasses regulatory, transactional and project development matters for power producers and investors, including the use of renewable energy tax credits as financing tools for project redevelopment.

Graf has more than a decade of experience advising energy industry clients on a wide variety of environmental counseling and permitting issues. She will also focus on the tax and business issues of raising investor capital and representing business, municipalities, and individuals in all phases of land use and environmental permitting and compliance.

A member of various organizations, including the American Wind Energy Association, the National Wind Coordinating Committee, the Boston Bar Association, and the Associated Industries of Massachusetts, Graf holds a JD from Suffolk University Law School and a BS from Wheaton College.

Greenberg Traurig employs more than 1,800 attorneys and governmental affairs professionals in the US, Europe and Asia. The firm was selected as the 2007 USA Law Firm of the Year by Chambers and Partners.