Environmental, Real Estate, and Litigation Counsel

Where Finance Meets the Environment: N.W. Bernstein & Associates, LLC's lawyers have environmental, real estate, financial and litigation experience to help clients solve multi-disciplinary environmental problems, including structuring environmentally sensitive business transactions and planning for EPA's new and upcoming regulations that will affect manufacturing, printing, packaging and a wide range of other commercial and industrial activities. Our summary of EPA's 2010-2011 Clean Air Act regulations has been requested by companies and other law firms. Contact the firm for a copy. We can also provide advice on traditional US environmental matters such as CERCLA, Brownfield redevelopment, the Clean Water Act, RCRA citizens' suit defense, and on challenging proposed new government regulations. We have relationships with counsel in London, Frankfurt, and Mexico City that provide us with a strong UK/EU/Mexico environmental and financing capability, including regarding financings on the London Alternative Investment Market (AIM). Our Primer on the Global Carbon Markets (updated August 2011) provides an overview of the $142 billion carbon markets, analyzes in detail the EU system and provides a summary of emerging US state compacts on Greenhouse Gases. Contact the firm for a copy. Regarding mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, toxic tort defense or commercial property purchases, sales or leases that have environmental issues, contact the firm for a copy.

Latest Developments:

September 2, 2011 - President Barack Obama has requested that EPA withdraw its proposed National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ozone pending a review to be completed in 2013. According to EPA, the proposed rule would have cost between $19 billion and $90 billion annually and was expected to throw more than 500 counties into nonattainment status thereby restricting plant modernization, construction, and potentially even transportation. EPA had previously tightened the ozone standard in 2008. Litigation brought by environmental groups in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit challenging that standard as insufficient has been on hold pending issuance of the new regulations. The environmental groups will now undoubtedly seek to reactivate the litigation and try to obtain a court order directing EPA to issue more stringent standards before 2013.

September 2, 2011 - N.W. Bernstein & Associates, LLC released its updated memorandum summarizing EPA's extraordinary range of 2010-2011 final and proposed Clean Air Act rulemakings that will impact a wide range of industries over the next several years. If you would like a copy Email the firm.

August 4, 2011 - N.W. Bernstein & Associates, LLC filed comments with EPA on behalf of Eco Power Solutions (USA) Corp. on EPA's proposed maximum achievable control technology (MACT) and new source performance standards (NSPS) for electric generating units (EGUs) nationwide. See comments filed with EPA.