Environmental, Real Estate, and Litigation Counsel

Where Finance Meets the Environment: The lawyers at N.W. Bernstein & Associates, LLC have environmental, real estate, financial, and litigation experience to help clients solve complex multi-disciplinary environmental problems, including helping to structure environmentally sensitive business transactions, representing clients in court and before governmental agencies, and reducing the cost of contaminated site cleanups. We can provide counsel on such issues as the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, CERCLA, RCRA, Brownfield Redevelopment and Citizens Suit Defense, and regarding claims asserted by federal agencies and by state agencies such as the NYDEC and the Michigan DEQ. We can also advise on global issues such as the implementation of the Equator Principles, the Alien Tort Claims Act (used by foreign nationals to assert environmental and other foreign claims in U.S. courts) on raising capital on the London Alternative Investment Market ("AIM") and on the global carbon markets. Contact the law firm regarding issues of interest, including mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, toxic tort defense, environmental law or commercial property purchases, sales, or leases.

Commercial Lease Restructuring: Our real estate group has a new focus - helping commercial real estate tenants to reduce the costs and burdens of existing leases. For more information see our commercial lease restructuring web page.

Latest Developments: Newly issued: combining renewable energy credits with a long term federally insured loan can produce a fifty percent return on equity and other benefits - see our article on Combining Credits and Loans Under the Stimulus Package.

If you would like a copy of our Primer on the Global Carbon Markets, please email nwbernstein@nwbllc.com

EPA has tightened the national ambient air quality standards for both lead and ozone nationwide. Numerous industries will be affected and 345 counties are expected to be declared "non-attainment" areas for ozone. EPA itself does not know how much of the country violates the new lead standards. Over time, some facilities may have to close and cash flow projections will be affected. EPA estimates the cost of compliance for ozone alone will be $7.6 to $8.5 billion annually. For further details see our Article on the New Ozone Standards and our Article on the New Lead Standards. If you would like a list of the counties expected to be out of compliance for ozone, please email nwbernstein@nwbllc.com

For other articles see: EPA To Investigate Possible Risks Of Formaldehyde Emissions From Pressed-Wood Products issued in November 2008 and A Primer on the London Alternative Investment Market (AIM), published in the January 2008 issue of the ACG Journal of Mergers and Acquisitions (pp. 66-67).