Suzanne M. Avena
111 Great Neck Road
Suite 503
Great Neck, NY 11021
Phone 516-393-2229
Fax 516-466-5964
savena@gwtlaw.com |
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Practice Groups
Compliance and White Collar Defense
Environmental(Chair)
Finance and Real Estate
Year Joined
2004
Education
Cornell University, B.S. cum laude
St. John's University School of Law, J.D. Dean's List, Moot Court, Senior Bar
Bar Admission(s)
New York, 1995
Court Admission(s)
New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
Bar Affiliation(s)
Nassau County Bar Association (Board of Directors; Past Chair, Environmental Committee)
NYS Bar Association's Enviromental Insurance Committee (past Co-Chair)
New York City Bar Association
American Bar Association
Womens Bar Association
Other Affiliation(s)
New York State Environmental Business Association - Brownfield Task Force
NYC Partnership of Brownfield Practitioners
Biography
Suzanne M. Avena is Chair of the Environmental Practice Group. She is also a member of the firm’s Finance and Real Estate Practice Group, Compliance Practice Group, as well as Managing Editor of the firm’s Environmental Bulletin.
Ms. Avena counsels in all matters of environmental law and regulatory compliance, including conducting compliance and due diligence audits, landscape issues, negotiating with federal and state agencies to mitigate violations and representing clients in environmental litigation. She represents parties engaged in hazardous waste cleanups, litigation related to toxic substances, remediation, insurance and cost recovery actions. She has particular expertise in structuring contaminated (Brownfield) commercial property transactions, including negotiating cleanup agreements, overseeing remediation contractors, drafting related contracts, facilitating development permits and forging deal-specific environmental insurance policies. Ms. Avena represents municipalities, manufacturers, real estate buyers, sellers, developers and management firms, lenders, investors, hospitals, universities, environmental contractors and consultants, and other business owners.
For five years prior to GWT, Ms. Avena was with the New York Environmental Practice at Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker, LLP. Before that, she was an attorney at AIG Environmental, serving as Director of the Contaminated Property Group. Prior to AIG, Ms. Avena was Regional Director of the Environmental Risk Consulting Practice at Sedgwick (now Marsh). During law school, Ms. Avena clerked at the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation in Stonybrook, Long Island and the Environmental Crimes Unit of the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.
Ms. Avena received her Bachelor of Science from Cornell University and her Juris Doctor degree from St. John’s University School of Law. She is admitted to the New York State Bar, Second Department and the US District Court Eastern and Southern Districts. She lectures and writes frequently on such topics as Superfund liability, green buildings, indoor air and environmental quality issues, environmental due diligence and environmental insurance.
Honors
Appointed to Board of Directors of Nassau County Bar Association (June 2009)
Alumni of the Month - St. John's University School of Law (May 2009)
New York Real Estate Journal - Long Island Women in Real Estate (March 2008)
Long Island Business News - Ones to Watch in Law Partnerships (January 2008)
Long Island Business News - Ones to Watch - Commercial Real Estate (July 2007)
Appointed Chair of the Nassau County Bar Association Environmental Law Committee (June 2007)
Recent Publications
Making Leases as Green as Buildings, Connecticut Law Tribune, April 13, 2009
New York Landlords Required to Provide Notification of Indoor Air Contaminants to Tenants and Occupants, Nassau Lawyer, February 2009
Using Environmental Insurance to Overcome Credit Risk, American Agent & Broker, December 2008
The Chilling Impact of Vapor Intrusion, New Jersey Law Journal, July 21, 2008, Vol. CXCIII, No. 3, Index 133.
Green Building Initiatives Are Now Catching on with Healthcare Facilities, New York Real Estate Journal, June 17, 2008.
Vapor Intrusion: Legal Issues for Real Estate Development, New York Real Estate Journal, December 18, 2007.
Question of the Month: Should you get environmental insurance for contaminated property transactions?, New York Real Estate Journal-Long Island, October 2, 2007 (and also appeared in Women in Real Estate feature, November 27, 2007).
Corporate Business Profile (Profile), published in October 2-8, 2007 issue of New York Real Estate Journal.
Spitzer Law Would Turn Brownfield Frowns Upside Down (interview), published in August 17-23, 2007 issue of Long Island Business News.
Environmental Insurance for Contaminated Property Transactions, Nassau Lawyer, April 2007.
FAS 143 and FIN 47: Disclosing Environmental Liabilities, InRe: The Magazine from New Jersey Lawyer, December 18, 2006, Volume 15, Number 50.
FIN 47 Applies to the Health Care Industry and Nonprofit Entities, Compliance Today - October 2006, Volume 8, Number 10.
The Fallout of Cooper on CERCLA Settlements And Voluntary Cleanups, Andrews Publications - Environmental Commentary, July 2006.
Insurance Recovery for Mold-Related Claims in New York, Environmental Claims Journal, Spring 2004, Volume 16, Number 2.
The Need for Environmental Management Systems in Hospitals, HCCA Compliance Today.
Recent Presentations
NYS's New Environmental Tenant/Occupant Indoor Air Contamination Notification Law and Insurance Products to Address Potential Liabilities, New York, NY, June 23, 2009
Moderator of Legally Green: How to Make Green by Going Green, Nassau Academy of Law, Mineola, NY, May 4, 2009
New Environmental Law requiring Landlords notifying Tenants, CoreNet Global, Jericho, NY, February 12, 2009
Environmental Crimes: From Pollution to Prosecution, Nassau County Bar Association, January 29, 2009
New NYS Environmental Disclosure Law for Landlords to Tenants, Greiner-Maltz Commercial & Retail Real Estate Brokers, Long Island City, NY, January 22, 2009
Moderator of Nassau County Bar Association meeting on Valuing Brownfields, October 27, 2008
Presentation to the North Stamford Association on the "Scofield Town Road Park Federal Superfund Site", October 13, 2008.
"Environmental Compliance and Liabilities - The Benefits of an Environmental Compliance Program", Presentation to Nassau Suffolk Hospital Council, September 12, 2008.
"All You Need to Know about Brownfields and How to Make the Programs Work for You", Sustainable Long Island's Fall Breakfast Series, September 12, 2008 (Farmingdale, NY).
"Green Guide for Health Care" In Service Presentation to Clients, Garfunkel, Wild & Travis, P.C., May 22, 2008.
"Vapor Intrusion Legal Issues" Presentation to Long Island Association of Professional Geologists, April 17, 2008.
"Indoor Air Quality/Indoor Environmental Quality Crossroads Conference", November 8, 2007 at the Sheraton, Mahwah, New Jersey, sponsored by the National Alliance of Environmental Specialists (NAESIP).
"Nassau County Development Issues: Facilitating Contaminated Property Transactions with Environmental Insurance", October 25, 2007 sponsored by the Nassau County Bar Association Environmental and Municipal Law Committees.
"Environmental Laws Affecting Corporate and Real Estate Transactions", Marsh/AIG Japanese Corp. Solutions, September 21, 2007.
"The New All Appropriate Inquiry Rule for Environmental Due Diligence", Presentation to the Nassau County Women’s Bar Association, November 15, 2006.
"The Secrets of SEQRA", Assist in CLE Presentation at the Nassau County Bar Association Environmental and Municipal Law Committees, October 25, 2006.
"How To Deal With Environmental Agency Inspections", Presentation to the Northern Metropolitan Hospital Association, October 5, 2006.
"The Benefits of an Environmental Management System in Avoiding Regulatory Inspections and Maintaining Environmental Compliance", Presentation to the Board of Directors at Nassau Suffolk Hospital Council, September 7, 2006.
"Legal and Technical Issues in the Assessment and Remediation of Brownfield Sites on Long Island", CLE Presentation at the Nassau Academy of Law, sponsored by the Environmental Business Association, New York State and the Nassau Bar Association Environmental Law Committee, May 15, 2006.
"Legal Protections to Your Environmental Audits Through Attorney-Client Privilege", Presentation to Energy East Operating Companies in Ithaca, New York, April 18, 2006.
"The New All Appropriate Inquiry Rule for Environmental Due Diligence", Presentation to the Long Island Association of Professional Geologists, January 19, 2006.
"What You Need To Know About the New Federal and New York State Brownfields Laws", Presentations to Hauppauge Industrial Association, December 19, 2005.
"Environmental Management Systems for Colleges and Universities", Presentation to College Health and Safety Society, December 13, 2005.
"Negotiating Brownfield Environmental Insurance for Public Sector Representatives", Presentation at Brownfields 2005, Denver, Colorado, November 3, 2005.
"Marsh Environmental Fall Forum", Panelist on Current Environmental Issues (New York, NY) October 17, 2005.
"Environmental Management Systems Workshop Series for Hospitals", Seminar for the Nassau Suffolk Hospital Council Members, September - December 13, 2005; Seminar for the Northern Metropolitan Hospital Council Members, August - November 2005.
"Environmental Insurance for Corporate and Real Estate Transactions", In-Service presentation to firm clients and guests, April 21, 2005.
"Update on EPA Voluntary Audit Program for Colleges and Universities", 1-800-Teleconference to firm clients and guests, November 29, 2004.
"Update on EPA Voluntary Audit Program for Hospitals", 1-800-Teleconference to firm clients and guests, November 28, 2004.
"Emerging Issues in Environmental Insurance", CLE Presentation sponsored by the New York State Bar Association and the New York City Bar Center, November 10, 2004.
"Introducing The New York State Brownfields Tax Credits", In-Service presentation to firm clients and guests, September 20, 2004.
"Environmental Law Affecting Real Estate Transactions", Guest Lecturer at Columbia Business School, Fall Semesters 2001, 2002, 2003. |
