Big Law Redefined: Episode 2 | Environmental Justice Checklist for Businesses

Maribel is a shareholder with Greenberg Traurig’s Tallahassee office with a concentrated practice in local government, environmental, and land use law. With 30 years of experience which includes local government, environmental, land use, brownfields, environmental justice, construction with an emphasis in negotiating and resolving complex environmental permitting, due diligence, and litigation matters, Maribel serves as environmental and land use counsel on multi-million-dollar projects and transactions. She advises lending institutions on environmental liability, including permitting and remediation projects associated with collateral property subject to foreclosure proceedings. She counsels regulated clients on complex litigation matters. Her practice includes counseling and litigation on environmental aspects in real estate transactions, commercial foreclosure proceedings, bankruptcy cases, environmental investigations, remediation projects, brownfields development, environmental justice, and evaluating risks and costs associated with potential environmental cleanup and third-party liability, as well as on regulatory and permitting technical aspects of complex contamination remediation projects. Maribel was a primary participant in writing Florida’s environmental justice legislation, and she served on the Florida Environmental Equity and Justice Study Commission. She advises corporate clients and developers on environmental justice matters and has been an annual speaker on this topic before the Florida Chamber of Commerce since 1995. Additional experience includes advising local government boards and negotiating settlement of all types of complex environmental violations with federal, state and municipal governmental agencies. Maribel’s key clients include property owners, Fortune 500 companies, financial institutions, banks and local governments.

Libretta Stennes litigates complex disputes, representing clients on matters related to environmental and mass tort defense, products liability and commercial disputes for clients in the food, agribusiness, chemical and life science industries. She guides clients through complex issues that arise from chemical exposures from products or environmental releases, particularly under emerging regulation. Libby often leads large defense teams across multiple jurisdictions in high profile matters. She led one of the earliest Daubert challenges during class certification proceedings and has repeatedly defeated class certification for medical monitoring and property damage cases. Libby is a creative and passionate advocate in court, with regulators and with community stakeholders. She uses legal skills mixed with environmental training to translate complex science into clear and persuasive messages. Clients value her global perspective and ability to see around corners to offer practical solutions for new product development, market withdrawal, transparency in supply chain and sustainable solutions for energy and environment. Libby counsels clients on commercial disputes addressing trade secrets, false advertising, breach of contract, covenants not to compete and business torts. She also partners with clients through times of major change management, advising on issues regarding product development, termination of business relationships, market withdrawal and disruptions to supply chains.