Gibbons Director David Freeman Reelected President of the New York City Brownfield Partnership
David J. Freeman, a Director in the Real Property Department of Gibbons P.C., has been unanimously reelected to a second term as president of the New York City Brownfield Partnership, a public/private nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the cleanup and redevelopment of brownfields in New York City.
The Partnership is a member organization of more than 40 real estate developers and owners, community organizations, governmental agencies, and environmental professionals who are active on brownfield matters. Working with the New York City Office of Environmental Remediation (OER), the Partnership serves as an information resource on a range of brownfield development issues; encourages collaboration among stakeholders in the brownfields process; helps communities understand their brownfield issues; highlights successful projects through an annual awards program; supports the education and training of brownfield professionals; and provides information and insight to help the city’s development community better navigate the process of redeveloping vacant and underutilized land with environmental issues.
“David joined Gibbons earlier this year as part of a strategic expansion of our environmental practice throughout the region,” says Patrick C. Dunican Jr., Chairman and Managing Director of the firm. “His work with the Brownfields Partnership raises the profile of our practice in New York City and strengthens our ties with critical contacts and organizations in the field.”
At Gibbons, Mr. Freeman represents buyers, sellers, and developers of properties in all environmental law areas, including brownfields, due diligence, hazardous waste cleanups, and sustainability. He litigates matters related to remediation, cost recovery, property damage, and exposure to toxic substances. Previously in his career, he served as a legislative assistant to U.S. Senator Frank E. Moss and a trial attorney for the Federal Trade Commission. He has been listed in such peer- and client-review publications as the Chambers USA Guide to America’s Leading Lawyers for Business and Super Lawyers and is a frequent author and speaker on environmental law topics who received a 2012 Burton Award for Legal Achievement for his work as “an outstanding law firm author.” In addition to his role with the Brownfield Partnership, Mr. Freeman serves as vice chair of the New York League of Conservation Voters Education Fund and as co-chair of the New York State Bar Association Environmental Law Section’s Committee on Hazardous Waste/Site Remediation, as well as co-chair of the Section’s Brownfield Task Force.