What's New
Paladin Settles Dry Cleaning Contamination Case
After years of battling with the former owners and operators of a dry cleaning plant in Los Angeles and their insurers, a highly contested and complex environmental contamination case has finally come to a close. Paladin's involvement in the case began in 2003 when its insurance archaeology efforts identified the historic insurance assets related to the site. A lawsuit was filed in 2005 under nuisance, trespass laws, and state environmental laws. Many parties settled along the way. In the end, Paladin recovered more than $2.2 million for its client.
$100 Million Federal Grant Program for Sustainable Communities Now Open
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development recently announced the Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant Program and invites applications until August 23, 2010. The regional planning grants will be awarded competitively to multijurisdictional and multi-sector partnerships, as well as regional consortia consisting of state and local governments, metropolitan planning organizations, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and philanthropic organizations. The program will support a number of activities related to the development and implementation of integrated long-range regional plans creating a blueprint for public and private investment decisions that will support a more sustainable future for a region. For more information click here.
Paladin Law Group Certified as a Green Business
The Bay Area Green Business Program certified Paladin Law Group as a business that meets its high standards of environmental performance. The firm has also been recognized as a member of the Green Chamber of Commerce.
Workshop Series on Measuring Sustainability Performance: A Framework for Regenerative Enterprise
This timely and engaging three part workshop series will be led by Ed Quevedo and Sarah Isabel Parriott. Over the course of this workshop series, participants will be assembling their own toolboxes for creating effective metrics. This three part workshop will be held at the Green Chamber of Commerce in Berkeley, CA on June 22, 2010, July 13, 2010, and August 3, 2010. For more information click here.
Straus Family Creamery Seeks Guidance from Paladin
In the firmament of sustainable businesses in the Northern California region, Straus Family Creamery stands alone as the leader in sustainably produced dairy and milk products. Straus' well-earned reputation for responsible and sustainable business practices has formed the foundation for its significant commercial success. Straus has engaged Paladin to work with its leadership team to develop stronger and more resilient and adaptive models of sustainability success, designed to propel its business further toward even higher levels of financial, social, and ecological performance, success, and profit.
Ayurvedic Skin Care Maker to Build Sustainability Management System
DoshaCare, Inc. has hired Paladin Law Group to design and implement a Sustainability Management System for its business operations. DoshaCare offers a complete line of Ayurvedic skin care products, customizable to an individual’s unique Dosha and skin type. DoshaCare products combine the centuries-old Indian Ayurvedic philosophy with the best of Western science and technology to offer an innovative, holistic and environmentally responsible approach to skin care that promotes healthy lifestyle choices.
Paladin Law Group to Present on Two Panels at the 83rd Annual Meeting of the State Bar of California in Monterey
Bret Stone will participate on a panel entitled "Greening Your Practice: An Introduction to the State Bar's EcoPledge" on September 24, 2010 at 4:15 p.m. The panel will share strategies on how to "green" law firms of all sizes. The following morning, at 10:30 a.m., both Bret Stone and Ed Quevedo will discuss the topic of "Sustainable Development: Moving Beyond Green Building Toward Sustainable Building and Master Planning." As the green building movement takes on additional steam, it is worth considering a number of legal and strategic issues that are not getting enough attention in the din around LEED certification. The program will traverse some of these issues in a practical fashion. Discussion will include SB 375, the most significant new land use law in California since CEQA. For more information click here.
EcoFair Marin Selects Paladin as Legal Counsel and Planning Partner
EcoFair Marin is working with the City of San Rafael to plan a major regional sustainability gathering in Marin County on April 23, 2011. This next-generation green festival, to be held in conjunction with Earth Day 2011, is an outgrowth of San Rafael’s Climate Change Action Plan. EcoFair Marin is designed to bring businesses, nonprofits and the community together to celebrate and advance local sustainability efforts. The festival will include great entertainment, food, speakers, and family activities to inform, engage, and empower participants. In order to support the planning of this event, identify and contribute thought leaders who will conduct workshops and other events during the fair, and to provide the legal services needed to deliver such an ambitious undertaking, EcoFair Marin retained Paladin Law Group. As a part of our continuing contributions to the communities we are privileged to serve, Paladin has agreed to take on this engagement pro bono. Please watch our website for updates on this important event.
Sustainable Winery Development: What You Need to Know
Paladin Law Group will be co-hosting three workshops covering key issues, pitfalls, and strategies relating to sustainable winery projects. The first workshop will discuss integrating green practices into your brand and marketing strategies, assembling the right team of experts, balancing project goals and constraints, and optimizing sustainable aspects of development. These workshops will be offered both in Napa Valley and the Central Coast. The next workshop will be in San Luis Obispo at a date to be announced.
Paladin Featured at AIHce in Denver
Paladin Law Group was featured in three sessions during the International American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition (AIHce) in Denver, Colorado. Ed Quevedo led the 5th Annual Professional Development Course on Sustainable Development 101 along with Dave Stangis of Campbell Soup and Jeff Hogue of Danisco, AG among others. He also anchored a discussion on Green and Sustainably Designed Buildings and was part of a panel discussion on Measuring Sustainability Performance.
Quevedo Invited to Executive Workshop on Sustainable Development
Ed Quevedo was one of a select group of 20 key actors in the sustainable development dialogue invited to develop a set of consensus recommendations about the roadmap to a livable future.
Participants in the Executive Workshop represent a cross-section of influential actors representing academia, NGOs/think-tanks, corporate executives, and policy-makers.
Ben Franks Joins Paladin's Cleantech Practice Group
F. Benjamin Franks is the most recent edition to the Paladin team where he will focus on corporate strategies for green businesses and energy clients. Mr. Franks earned his law degree and MBA from Temple University and his undergraduate degree from Duke University. Click here to view his complete bio.
Paladin Holds Product Labeling Webinar
Bret Stone and Ed Quevedo led a webinar entitled "Product Labeling: Making Sure Green is Really Green." The webinar disscussed Federal Trade Commission regulations, Green Guides, third party certification, and other methods of protecting false claims that a product is "green." To read Paladin's article related to this topic click here.
Quevedo Leads Talk on Greenwashing
Paladin's Ed Quevedo led a talk at Dominican University on realizing profitiability through authentic sustainable business practices and the dangers of greenwashing.
Career Opportunities at Paladin Law Group
Paladin is recruiting for the following positions:
Senior CEQA/NEPA Lawyer with at least ten years of experience. Candidate must have strong client following and an established history of business development. Interest in supporting growth of a law practice with domestic and international clients that seeks to have a positive impact in supporting clients’ progress toward sustainable operations, development, and projects a definite plus. Entrepreneurial firm offers clients creative rate structures, unique branding, and experienced attorneys who enjoy being a part of a team. Please contact us by e-mailing recruiting@paladinlaw.com. All communications will be held in the strictest confidence. Principals Only.
Senior Corporate/Energy Lawyer with at least seven years of experience with emphasis in energy, mergers and acquisitions, emerging companies, and corporate law. Candidate must have strong client following and an established history of business development. Interest in supporting growth of a law practice with domestic and international clients that seeks to have a positive impact in supporting clients’ progress toward sustainable operations, products, and corporate culture a definite plus. Entrepreneurial firm offers clients creative rate structures, unique branding, and experienced attorneys who enjoy being a part of a team. Please contact us by e-mailing recruiting@paladinlaw.com. All communications will be held in the strictest confidence. Principals Only.
Contract Attorney with at least five years of experience. Candidate must have demonstrated passion for environmental and sustainability issues and strong background in practice areas such as environmental law and litigation, regulatory compliance, sustainability, CEQA and land use, cleantech, energy and corporate law. Strong interest and commitment to sustainability issues and the advancement of sustainable business practices preferred. Please contact us by e-mailing recruiting@paladinlaw.com. All communications will be held in the strictest confidence. Principals Only.
Paladin Law Group and Green Chamber of Commerce Co-Host Event in Berkeley
Paladin's Sustainability Practice Group co-hosted an event with the Green Chamber of Commerce (http://greenchamberofcommerce.net/) at the Brower Center in Berkeley. The evening included discussions led by Paladin's Ed Quevedo and Sarah Isabel Parriott on the topic of Sustainability Metrics for All Stakeholders: Business, Customer, and Community.
City of Santa Cruz Selects Paladin Law Group to Design the Implementation Strategy of its General Plan
The innovative Planning Department of the City of Santa Cruz has retained Paladin Law Group's professional and legal services in order to create the implementation portion for its General Plan 2030. This dynamic process of implementation will positively impact the development of this unique coastal city, creating community benefits, while protecting ecosystems. This project will bring sustainability into the long term planning process for the City of Santa Cruz, and give both government and citizens a road map to realize the General Plan 2030.
San Francisco taps Paladin Law Group for Energy and Climate Change Contract
After an arduous RFP and interview process, Paladin Law Group was selected by the City and County of San Francisco to provide professional sustainability and legal services in the areas of regulations and policy, comprehensive energy/GHG reduction program design and development, marketing and information, and training. Teaming up with Paladin on this project are Arup and EDAW/AECOM. The new programs and energy efficiency incentives will build on current efforts seen in San Francisco, such as Energy Watch, which incentivize energy efficiency in buildings, transit alternatives, alternative vehicle fuels, and generating electricity with renewable energy to achieve goals of energy self-reliance, improved air quality, and the reduction of greenhouse gases by 20 percent below the 1990 levels.
Quevedo Speaks at NIOSH Green Jobs Workshop
Ed Quevedo was a plenary speaker at the Making Green Jobs Safe Workshop on the subject of integrating worker health and safety into green jobs and sustainability. The conference was held in Washington DC.
US Green Building Coucil Retains Paladin Law Group
The United States Green Building Council, California Central Coast Chapter has retained Paladin Law Group to provide legal services relating to its education programs.
International E-Waste Firm Calls on Paladin Law Group
MRT System International AB, a Swedish-based manufacturer of infrastructure equipment for recovering mercury from electronic waste and recycling machines for lighting technology and computer equipment, has retained Paladin Law Group for compliance counseling on domestice and international product labeling and environmental attribute regulations.
Applied Materials Engages Paladin for Domestic and International EHS Work
Paladin Law Group has been engaged to provide comprehensive domestic and international environmental health and safety legal advice to Fortune 500 company Applied Materials, Inc. Applied Materials recently received nationwide recognition for its on-site generation of green power. Click here to read the EPA press release.
Paladin Selected as Environmental Counsel for Biopharmaceutical Company
Nektar Therapeutics, a leading biopharmaceutical company, has retained Paladin Law Group to support its EHS compliance and environmental performance programs. Nektar has a robust product pipeline based on its advanced polymer conjugate chemistry technology platform, including oncology, pain management, and anti-infectives. Based in San Carlos, California, Nektar also has operations in Alabama and Hyderabad, India.
Paladin Law Group Fields Three Speakers at Prestigious Environmental Law Conference at Yosemite
Three Paladin lawyers were presenters at the Environmental Law Conference at Yosemite -- nationally recognized as the largest and most prestigious gathering of leaders in environmental, land use and natural resources law in California. The topics included "Product-Based Environmental Regulations: Green Chemistry and Related New Frameworks for Environmental Management" and "ADR and Settlement Issues in Environmental Cases."
Stone and Parriott Speak at Environmental Summit
Bret Stone and Sarah Isabel Parriott presented on "Why Sustainability Makes Business Sense" at the Annual Statewide Environmental Summit in San Diego sponsored by the California Manufacturers & Technology Association, the Industrial Environmental Association, and the Chemical Industry Council of California.
Bret Stone Speaks on Legal Developments Regarding Insurance Claims for Pollution Coverage
Bret Stone served on a panel to discuss key decisions of the California Supreme Court and California Court of Appeals that have forced insurers to rethink how they deal with insurance coverage claims for pollution. Cases on "stacking" insurance policies over multiple years of coverage, the insured's burden of proof regarding damage caused by "sudden and accidental events," the breadth of the pollution exclusion, and the scope of an insurer's duty to defend have been a boost to policyholders and those responding to environmental contamination. The session also explored how insurance coverage may apply to issues of climate change and greenhouse gas emissions in an ever-changing field of environmental law.
Paladin Law Group Settles Environmental Contamination Case for Shopping Center
Paladin Law Group represented the owner of a shopping center in a lawsuit against the operators of a dry cleaning plant and the manufacturers of the dry cleaning equipment in a federal lawsuit asserting liability under RCRA, CERCLA, nuisance, and trespass.
John Till Appointed to California Redevelopment Association’s Sustainability Committee
CRA tapped John Till as a founding member of its new Sustainability Committee. CRA has been emphasizing the need for redevelopment agencies to build sustainable projects by promoting urban-centered growth, restoring once contaminated areas to viable use, preserving the environment and open space, and reducing urban sprawl and commute times. With the rise of sustainability in the public consciousness, CRA thought it appropriate to establish a standing committee to focus on issues related to sustainability and redevelopment.
Paladin Law Group Settles Nondisclosure, Breach of Fiduciary Duty Case
Paladin Law Group represented the buyers in a lawsuit against the sellers and real estate brokers in a dual agency situation for failing to disclose that an underground heating oil tank had once been located at the property and that pipelines associated with the tank were still buried underground. The case was settled for an undisclosed amount a week before trial.
Bret Stone a Presenter at California Redevelopment Association Conference
Bret Stone was a presenter at the California Redevelopment Association Legal Symposium in Anaheim, California on how historic insurance policies may be an effective tool in Brownfields redevelopment. The event included representatives of municipalities throughout California.
Bret Stone Selected as a Who’s Who in Professional Services by the Pacific Coast Business Times
For the fifth straight year, Bret Stone has been recognized by the Pacific Coast Business Times for his work on the Central Coast.
