We advise colleges and universities – large and small, private and public – on a broad range of environmental, real estate, and land use and development issues.
Why B&D?
Colleges and universities face unique challenges as they expand their campuses to meet the demands of faculty and students and strive to comply with environmental and land use regulations governing their wide-ranging activities. Higher learning institutions lease, purchase, and develop land, build roads and infrastructure, produce electricity, treat wastewater, generate hazardous waste, and create whole new industries and products through cutting-edge research and technology development. Many also deal with issues related to decaying infrastructure, waste associated with historical use, and green initiatives.
Institutions benefit from our broad environmental and project development practice and our ability to respond quickly to questions both routine and of great complexity and sophistication. We have worked with some of the nation’s leading colleges and universities, as well as industry trade groups such as the American Council on Education. From "day-to-day" compliance work to advising on high-tech issues at the very fringes of regulations, we help colleges and universities meet their educational and environmental goals.
Key Service Areas
Our lawyers represent colleges and universities in matters that include:
Environmental Compliance
- Permitting and compliance of water and wastewater treatment systems
- Handling and disposal of solid and hazardous waste
- Permitting and compliance under the Clean Air Act
- Regulation of nanotechnology and other new products
- Negotiating federal and state environmental enforcement actions
- Assessing and remediating oil/hazardous materials sites
- Federal and state environmental enforcement actions
Land Use and Development
- Local and state permitting for construction of new facilities and additions to or rehabilitation of existing buildings
- Land use planning and zoning, including special zoning benefits available to non-profit institutions
- Public procurement
- Negotiation and review of complex contracts with designers, contractors, and equipment suppliers
- Green building, sustainable development, and alternative energy
Litigation
When necessary, the firm’s litigators stand ready to assist in pursuing the institution’s goals, whether they are defending against regulatory enforcement actions, litigating appeals of development and environmental permits, or defending against claims of environmental contamination.
