Press Release

For Immediate Release

Contact:

Lydia Bednerik

Marketing Director

Wendel, Rosen, Black & Dean LLP

510.834.6600

Wendel Rosen Racks Up Another Green “First” – Secures Ground Lease for First LEED Certified Shopping Center in California

First Certified Green Law Firm Continues Commitment to

Sustainable Business Practices Launched More Than Five Years Ago

OAKLAND, Calif., Sept. 19, 2008 – Wendel, Rosen, Black & Dean LLP, a law firm committed to sustainable business practices, represented Foothill Partners in several matters related to the new and first LEED-certified shopping center in California, Uptown Monterey Shopping Center in Monterey. The firm handled the underlying ground leases on behalf of Foothill, as well as leases with tenants, including Peet’s Coffee & Tea and anchor tenant Trader Joe’s. Completed in Dec. 2007, the center was certified “LEED Silver” by the U.S. Green Building Council in August. Now one of only a few LEED shopping centers in the country, Uptown Monterey was developed with sustainability in mind as a public/private venture between Foothill Partners, Granite Land Company, National Trust for Historic Preservation and the City of Monterey, the last two entities owning the underlying land.

“Uptown Monterey is a unique shopping center that exemplifies how retail development should be approached going forward.  It was a privilege to work with all of the participants in this project – not only because the Center sets the standard for future California retail, but because our firm is of a like mind in terms of commitment to the environment,” said Michael A. Dean, a Wendel Rosen partner involved in the project.  “After thoroughly ‘greening’ Wendel Rosen over the last five years, it’s exciting to see the growing public demand for sustainable building as this LEED-certified shopping center has been tremendously well received by both the retail trade and local shopping communities.”

Wendel Rosen’s expertise in green real estate development draws on years of immersion in practice.  Since 2003, longer than any other law firm, Wendel Rosen as been “walking the talk” after becoming the nation’s first certified green law firm and launching its Green Business Practice Group.

Wendel Rosen exceeds the requirements of the Bay Area Green Business Program based on a series of audits by PG&E, the East Bay Municipal Utility District, the City of Oakland and Alameda County.  For example, in an industry known for its “paper-pushing,” Wendel Rosen has dramatically reduced firmwide consumption and uses 100 percent post-consumer waste content and chlorine-free recycled paper.  Soy-based inks are used in professional print projects, and the firm also encourages electronic transmission of documents whenever possible.  These efforts combined save more than 250 trees, 40,000 pounds of greenhouse gases and 31,450 kilowatts of electricity each year. 

“Our commitment to a sustainable business model has been in full force since we began our quest to become green.  We are thrilled to continue to work with other deeply committed individuals and companies, especially on projects like the Uptown Monterey Shopping Center that push the envelope and set a higher standard for real estate development,” said William C. Acevedo, a partner and leader of the firm’s Green Business Practice Group.

Co-founded by Wendel Rosen attorneys Donald Simon, Richard Lyons and Bruce Lymburn, the firm’s Green Business Practice Group advises a range of clients, including entrepreneurs, nonprofits, private businesses and large, publicly-held companies.  Counseling services include advising clients on myriad “green” matters, including organics and Fair Trade ^TM; green building/LEED^TM certification; renewable energy; climate change; and clean tech, as well as in traditional legal matters, such as construction transactions and litigation; distribution agreements; formation of business entities; leasing; secured transactions; and trademark and intellectual property registration, transfers, licensing and protection.

Since its certification, Wendel Rosen and its Green Business Practice Group attorneys have continuously supported sustainable business and real estate programs and initiatives in the Bay Area and beyond.  Highlights include:

·     Lymburn was among the first attorneys nationwide to be certified as a LEED Accredited Professional by the U.S. Green Building Council.

·     Lymburn is co-chair of the California State Bar Task Force on Sustainable Practice, which is leading endeavors to bring sustainable initiatives into the practice of law across the state.

·     Wendel Rosen’s Green Business Practice Group joined 1% for the Planet, an organization that requires its business members to contribute one percent of revenue or a segment of revenue to environmental nonprofits.  One percent of revenue generated by the Green Business Practice Group is donated to local and national, environmentally focused non-profit organizations.

·     Simon co-founded the U.S. Green Building Council, Northern California Chapter, for which he serves as general counsel and advocacy chairperson.

·     Simon is president of Build It Green, a regional non-profit providing green building technical information and education.

·     Simon was one of the key players in launching the Bay Area Business Council on Climate Change, which encourages businesses to take an active role in reducing their carbon footprints.

·     Wendel Rosen has sponsored large-scale events, such as West Coast Green and the San Francisco Green Festival.

·     Jonathan Redding sits on the newly formed California Redevelopment Agency Sustainability Committee, which will be working at a statewide level on redevelopment and sustainability issues.

·     Aleka Skouras Eisentraut serves on the board of Urban Releaf.

·     Bruce Flushman serves on the board of Community Energy Services Corporation.

·     The firm routinely sponsors green business programs within the local community, such as the first-ever San Francisco Business Times’ Green Business Awards and the Spare the Air Employer Conference.

About Wendel Rosen

Founded in 1909, Wendel, Rosen, Black & Dean LLP serves a diverse clientele of business, public and individual clients located throughout California and the United States. With offices in Oakland and Modesto, California, the firm advises clients on transactional and civil litigation matters in several related fields of law, including real estate; business/corporate; construction; creditors’ rights/bankruptcy; eminent domain; employment; environmental; estate planning, trusts and probate; green business; insurance; intellectual property; land use; taxation; and technology. Additional information about the firm and its attorneys may be found at www.wendel.com/sustainable.

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