Sive Paget & Riesel, P.C.

Firm Details:

Number of partners: 16

Number of lawyers: 30

Languages: English

Firm Overview:

For sixty years, SPR has been a recognized leader in environmental law and litigation, municipal, and land use law. The firm has unparalleled experience assisting clients in the preparation of environmental assessments and environmental impact statements for major infrastructure and other development projects, including bridges, tunnels and stadiums, as well as in the pursuit of offshore wind, solar and other renewable energy projects. A significant portion of the firm’s practice is devoted to brownfield redevelopment projects and environmental permitting, supporting corporate transactions with due diligence reviews and risk assessments, and advising industrial clients on issues related to environmental permitting and compliance. The firm’s attorneys are experienced litigators, prosecuting and defending Superfund cost recovery actions, oil spill cases, toxic tort cases and challenges to environmental reviews.

Main Areas of Practice:

Environmental Impact Review:

■ Advised Empire State Development, the Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation and the Hudson River Park Trust on the environmental review for the creation of two major NYC waterfront parks — the Brooklyn Bridge Park and the Hudson River Park

■ Advising a golf course developer on the environmental review and land use approvals for a new proposed golf course in Southampton, New York

■ Advising the Lincoln Center Development Corporation in connection with the modernization and rehabilitation of the Lincoln Center complex in Manhattan

Key Clients: Empire State Development; Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation; Hudson River Park Trust; Discovery Land Ventures; Lincoln Center Development Corporation

Contact: David Paget, Mark Chertok, Elizabeth Knauer, Michael Bogin

Email: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

Infrastructure:

■ Advised the NYS Thruway Authority and the State of New York throughout the planning, review, and permitting of the new Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, which spans the Hudson River and replaced the Tappan Zee Bridge

■ Represented the Port Authority with respect to the environmental review and permitting for the raising of the Bayonne Bridge, and successfully defended a legal challenge to the environmental review

■ Advising the NYC Department of Transportation with respect to the environmental impact review and permitting of a proposed project to reconstruct a portion of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway

Key Clients: NYS Thruway Authority; State of New York; Port Authority of NY and NJ; NYC Department of Transportation

Contact: David Paget, Mark Chertok, Elizabeth Knauer

Email: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

Offshore Wind:

■ Advising Equinor Wind US on the permitting and approvals necessary to develop three offshore wind farms that will deliver 3.3GW of renewable energy to New York: the 816MW Empire Wind 1, the 1,260MW Empire Wind 2, and the 1,230 MW Beacon Wind 1 projects

■ Advised NYSERDA on the development of the New York State Offshore Wind Master Plan and 20 supporting studies

■ Prepared environmental impact statement for New York State’s first procurement of offshore wind energy

■ For New York’s first proposed offshore wind pre-assembly port facility, assisted in the identification and acquisition of the project site, and advising on the state and federal permitting processes

Key Clients: Equinor Wind US; NYSERDA; Atlantic Offshore Terminals

Contact: Dan Chorost

Email: [email protected]

Litigation:

■ Representing a plaintiff suing General Electric over mercury contamination in multiple buildings

■ Representing Northrop Grumman in multiple matters, including an enforcement matter regarding environmental remediation in Bethpage, Long Island, a litigation against the Town of Oyster Bay regarding the remediation of park property, and separate litigations brought by the Bethpage Water District and by the Town of Hempstead regarding alleged groundwater contamination

■ Representing the American Museum of Natural History in the successful defense of challenges to the environmental review and land use procedures followed for a museum expansion, which victory currently is on appeal

■ Representing an international manufacturer in several proceedings related to the remediation of New Jersey’s Lower Passaic River, one of the largest Superfund sites in the United States, including a litigation brought by Occidental Chemical Corporation

■ Successfully defended Adchem in complex CERCLA litigation, after prevailing on summary judgment, prevailing on appeal to the Second Circuit, and obtaining a denial of certiorari from the US Supreme Court

Key Clients: BRG Harrison Lofts Urban Renewal LLC; Northrop Grumman Systems Corp.; American Museum of Natural History; Adchem Corp.

Contact: Daniel Riesel, David Paget, Mark Chertok, Elizabeth Knauer, Jeff Gracer, Dan Chorost

Email: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

Brownfields Redevelopment:

■ Advising on the remediation and environmental permitting of a project that will transform a large New York City-owned parcel into a mixed-use waterfront complex to include affordable housing, parkland expansion, a museum and other community space

■ Overseeing the redevelopment of the Bedford Union Armory in Brooklyn, which calls for the remediation of petroleum, asbestos and lead through the state Brownfield Cleanup Program, and the construction of a 500,000-square foot complex including a recreation center, office space, academic space, and apartments

■ Advising a Long Island City property owner in the remediation of a high-profile former industrial site under the state Brownfield Cleanup Program, which will be rezoned and redeveloped with mixed uses

Key Clients: L&M Development Partners; BFC Partners; Plaxall

Contact: Michael Bogin, Mark Chertok

Email: [email protected], [email protected]

International Work:

The firm regularly represents non-US companies with respect to US environmental matters, and provides strategic advice based upon the firm’s US and extensive international business experience. The firm has represented clients and works with international law firms from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Russia, Thailand and the UK, among other countries.

Contact: Jeff Gracer

Email: [email protected]