MIAMI – July 17, 2020 – Four Greenberg Traurig attorneys from the firm’s Environmental Practice will speak at the Florida Chamber Foundation’s 34th Annual Environmental Permitting Summer School to be held from July 21-24.
The annual event aims to keep Florida Chamber members and organizations informed of environmental and growth management laws and regulations affecting Florida. It is the largest event of its kind in the state and is attended by attorneys, consultants, engineers, state and local government officials, developers, landowners, and others with a strong interest in environmental issues in Florida.
This year, speakers and attendees have the option to participate in the conference live in Marco Island, Florida and virtually, and stream all the courses offered live through Sched and Zoom. Virtual participants will be able to see, hear, and interact with the speakers.
Below is the list of firm attorneys who will be speaking and the corresponding panels:
- Jillian C. Kirn (Philadelphia) and Bernadette M. Rappold (Washington, D.C.): Federal Environmental Regulation and Enforcement Update
- Maribel N. Nicholson-Choice (Tallahassee): Florida Brownfields: A Comprehensive Technical, Regulatory, and Legal Update
- Christopher Torres (Tampa): Avoiding Public Hearing Pitfalls: Preparation, Presentation, and Legal Challenges. The panel will discuss public hearing challenges that have arisen as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Kirn focuses her practice on complex environmental and energy litigation, regulatory compliance counseling, and resolution of environmental liabilities identified in the course of transactions. She has wide-ranging experience representing clients in litigation in state and federal courts and works on behalf of developers and corporations in connection with the acquisition, sale, and financing of contaminated real estate, including environmental liability transfers. She routinely assists clients with risk management matters in the context of proposed project redevelopments, renewable energy securities transactions, and legacy remedial liabilities at industrial sites.
Rappold works on federal and state regulatory issues related to energy, manufacturing, and the environment. She has substantial litigation experience and advises clients on regulatory compliance as well as the environmental, safety, and health aspects of numerous business and real estate transactions, including water, air, and chemical hazards. Bernadette offers clients perspective gained through years of service at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). While serving as a director of the Special Litigation and Projects Division in the Office of Civil Enforcement at the EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, Rappold led complex enforcement actions in response to violations of the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and other environmental statutes.
Nicholson-Choice has 30 years of experience which includes local government, environmental, land use, brownfields, and construction with an emphasis in negotiating and resolving complex environmental permitting, due diligence, and litigation matters. Her practice includes counseling and litigation on environmental aspects in real estate transactions, commercial foreclosure proceedings, bankruptcy cases, environmental investigations, remediation projects, brownfields development, and evaluating risks and costs associated with potential environmental cleanup and third-party liability, as well as on regulatory and permitting technical aspects of complex contamination remediation projects.
Torres is a member of the firm’s Environmental & Toxic Tort Litigation Practice and is the administrative shareholder of the firm’s Tampa office. He concentrates his practice on toxic tort defense, environmental litigation, land use litigation, and business and complex commercial litigation. He is experienced in mass tort and class action toxic tort defense and has managed and worked with testifying and non-testifying experts in an array of scientific and technical disciplines.
About Greenberg Traurig’s Environmental Practice: Greenberg Traurig’s Environmental Practice assists clients with issues under the environmental and natural resource laws that affect their businesses. The firm’s environmental attorneys assist with securing permits and approvals; negotiate and close transactions; defend clients in enforcement actions; handle a broad range of environmental and toxic tort litigation; ensure the understanding and satisfaction of regulatory requirements; prepare for and respond to emergencies; craft approaches for legacy cleanup issues; and develop solutions for product regulation, market access, and environmental policy challenges. Greenberg Traurig received a first-tier ranking in the "Environmental Law" and "Litigation — Environmental" categories in the U.S. News - Best Lawyers 2019 "Best Law Firms" report.
About Greenberg Traurig, LLP: Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GT) has more than 2,200 attorneys in 41 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. GT has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, diversity, and innovation, and is consistently among the largest firms in the U.S. on the Law360 400 and among the Top 20 on the Am Law Global 100. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com Twitter: @GT_Law.