EnviroPolitics
A daily compendium of environmental and political information
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EnviroBusiness News…. September 2006

White & Williams expands New York presence Philadelphia-based law firm White & Williams said
today it will acquire five-lawyer Koerner Silberberg of New York on Sunday. Koerner Silberberg's practice includes corporate transactions, securities law, real estate and commercial litigation. The acquisition does
not include the addition of any partners, though, as Carl Seldin Koerner and FrancesZujkowski join White
& Williams as counsel along with three associates. George Hartnett, White & Williams' chairman, said the transactional practices of the Koerner firm will mesh with White & Williams' traditional strength in commercial litigation, particularly with securities litigation. White & Williams already has a seven-lawyer New York office that includes three partners at One Penn Plaza. Koerner Silberberg is located at 112 Madison Ave. The two groups will combine into one office at One Penn Plaza, where new space will be ready for occupancy. After
the acquisition, White & Williams said, it will have 230 lawyers practicing in eight offices in Pennsylvania,
New Jersey, New York and Delaware Philadelphia Business Journal 9/29/2006 

Steam turbine order causes GE Energy to recall some laid off workers General Electric Energy's Schenectady, NY plant is building eight 920-megawatt steam-turbine generators for TXU Generation Development Co. LLC for $600M. The turbines, due to be delivered from June to November 2008, are expected to be up and running in Texas coal-fired power plants by 2010, said GE Energy spokesman Thomas Schwendler. "As a result of this we expect that we will be investing about $4M in plant and equipment at
the site to accommodate an increase in volume in the steam turbine and generator side of our business," Schwendler said. "We will probably purchase some new generator stands and some tooling." Since getting
the order in August, GE Energy has recalled 45 laid off union workers. The company might bring in another 10 laid off workers by the end of the year, he said.(Albany) Business Review 9/29/06

Storm damaged trees fuel woodchip business that will use Albany port Green Energy Resources Inc., a public company headquartered in New York City, will export wood chips to be used to fuel power plants to Europe through Port Albany Ventures LLC. The wood comes from downed tree limbs, storm damaged trees, and routine tree removal (Albany) Business Review  9/29/06

New conservation group explains role in NRD settlements In a presentation yesterday to the Environmental Business Council of the Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey yesterday, former NJDEP Deputy Commissioner Michael Catania explained the role his new organization, Conservation Resources, Inc., can play in assisting businesses facing Natural Resource Damage settlements, mitigation projects, satisfaction of permit conditions, dispute resolution in contested permit conditions, and other cases involving land contributions. To view a summary of Catania's presentation, click here  For more information, click: NRD settlements 9/28/06   

Suit accuses PSE&G of discrimination Public Service Electric & Gas, which has pledged in recent years to increase racial diversity in its management ranks, is accused in a new lawsuit of having almost no minority supervisors in its sprawling service division. The lawsuit, one of several to accuse the utility of discrimination in recent years, claims there are only two minorities among the top 100 supervisory personnel in the service division. The suit also claims that service requests are racially coded so that black service technicians are sent to minority neighborhoods and white technicians are sent to the suburbs Star-Ledger 9/28/06

Saul Ewing welcomes former federal prosecutor as litigation partner  Saul Ewing LLP announces that Christopher R. Hall, a former Assistant U.S. Attorney  for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, has joined the firm as Partner in the Litigation Department. Hall brings to Saul Ewing 16 years of experience in federal multi-agency investigations involving securities, healthcare, government contracts, public corruption and environmental and tax violations. Fluent in Spanish, Hall has tried more than 30 cases in federal courts and was named Prosecutor of the Year by the International Association of Financial Crimes Investigators in 1999. Hall received his B.A., cum laude, from Amherst College in 1981. He earned his J.D. from Georgetown Law Center in 1985 and served as editor of the American Criminal Law Review. Saul Ewing LLP is a Mid-Atlantic firm with 260 lawyers in eight offices in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware and the District of Columbia. 9/27/2006

Curtiss oil pump may ease drilling Curtiss-Wright wants to help oil companies go places never drilled before. The Roseland, NJ-based company has developed a pump it says will allow companies to drill deeper undersea, enabling them to tap new fields and wring more oil out of existing ones Bergen Record 9/26/06

Buchanan Ingersoll, Klett Rooney shareholders vote yes to merger Buchanan Ingersoll and Klett Rooney Lieber & Schorling have become one, after a shareholder vote at both firms Monday morning gave
the merger the go-ahead. The new firm, Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, will become the largest law firm in Pennsylvania -- in terms of number of attorneys in the state -- with roughly 313 lawyers according to the last survey conducted by Pennsylvania Law Weekly. As a whole, the firm will have over 525 attorneys. Leaders
of the new firm anticipate that it will be in the top 80 of national firms with an estimated combined gross
revenue of $265 million LAW.com  9/26/06  

Reed Smith Shuts Doors in Newark With branch offices in Princeton, NJ, and New York, Reed Smith really doesn't need one in Newark, NJ, so the firm has decided to economize by shutting it down next year. Steven Picco, the New Jersey partner in charge, says the closure, decided in recent budget deliberations,
is in sync with the 1,100-lawyer Pittsburgh-based firm's plan to eliminate redundant offices as it expands internationally. It has 14 U.S. offices and four in Europe, and on Jan. 1, its London office will merge with 400-lawyer Richards Butler, with branches in Asia, the Middle East and South America LAW.com 9/26/06 

PSEG pulls from within Less than two weeks after it walked away from a $17 billion merger with Exelon, Public Service Enterprise Group is promoting two senior executives to run the company, the owner of the state's biggest gas and electric utility. The Newark,NJ-based company yesterday named Ralph Izzo, currently president and chief operating officer of the utility, Public Service Electric & Gas, to take over as president and chief operating officer of the parent company, effective Oct. 1. The move puts Izzo in position to succeed E. James Ferland, the chairman, CEO, and president of PSEG, when he steps down at the end of next March. Izzo, who joined the company in 1992 and has held a series of senior executive posts since then, will be replaced as utility president by Ralph LaRossa, vice president of delivery at PSE&G. He had been scheduled to take over as head of the utility if the Exelon merger had gone through Star-Ledger  PSEG news release 9/26/2006  
> PSEG must reassert itself, Izzo says Ralph Izzo and Ralph LaRossa speak to The Record about the company and their new jobs Bergen Record 9/26/06

NRG Energy's David Crane to speak at Global Power and Gas Leaders Conference David Crane, NRG Energy's President and Chief Executive Officer, will present at the Merrill Lynch Global Power and Gas Leaders Conference on Tuesday, September 26, 2006. Crane will participate in a panel discussion, "Texas and Beyond," scheduled for 10:30 a.m. eastern that day. Interested investors can listen to the live audio webcast at http://www.nrgenergy.com under "Investors." A replay of the webcast will be archived on the website. NRG Energy Center Paxton Creek LLC, in Harrisburg, Pa., owns Paxton Creek Cogeneration Plant, a merchant plant adjacent to NRG Energy Center Harrisburg’s Mangione plant. It features two 6 MW diesel generators with heat-recovery boilers capable of producing 7,000 lb/hr of steam for sale to the Energy Center’s steam business. The plant also generates electricity for Energy Center use and for sale into the PJM grid. News release 9/26/06 

Fox Rothschild expands its region with merger Considering that one of the dictionary's definitions of "region" is "an indefinite area of the world or universe," it shouldn't be a surprise that the legal community's definition of "regional" seems to change by the day. Consolidation in the marketplace has made many question whether medium-sized firms will have to grow to remain independent, and some firms have done just that. The latest example is Fox Rothschild, which will complete its merger with Roseland, N.J.-based Grotta Glassman & Hoffman by Oct. 1. The 53-lawyer firm specializes in labor and employment litigation and will give Fox Rothschild offices in north Jersey, California and Nevada. When asked whether his firm is now national, Fox Rothschild Chairman Abraham C. Reich said, "Our region has just gotten bigger." LAW.com 9/25/06

Environmental attorney to receive NJBA Chairman's Award Andrew B. Robins, an officer
and shareholder at the law firm of Giordano, Halleran & Ciesla, has been chosen by the New Jersey Builders Association (NJBA) Committee Chairpersons to receive the NJBA Chairman’s Award. Robins will be formally recognized for his dedication and service to the NJBA at the Associates Gala on September 27 at the Forsgate Country Club. The Committee, which designates one Associate Member who has demonstrated exemplary attendance and significant contributions to the Committee, selected Robins for the second consecutive
year for his many contributions, including the drafting of  policy statements, presenting
issues for discussion at the redevelopment forums, and drafting amendments to legislation on behalf of the NJBA on critical issues relating to brownfields and redevelopment. Robins' law practice focuses on resolving a variety of environmental issues, including: regulatory compliance, cost recovery litigation and transaction negotiation and risk analysis. Robins is a frequent lecturer and author of articles and treatise sections. He received his law degree from Rutgers University School of Law and his bachelors degree from the University of Pennsylvania. 9/21/2006

Foster Wheeler enters into license agreement for circulating fluidized-bed steam generator
Foster Wheeler Ltd. says that its subsidiary Foster Wheeler North America Corp., a unit of the Global Power Group, has entered into a fifteen-year agreement with Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction Co., Ltd. (to provide a technology license for subcritical pressure circulating fluidized-bed (CFB) steam generator projects in Korea, the Indian subcontinent and certain other regions. The agreement also contemplates Foster Wheeler collaborating with Doosan on certain engineering, procurement, and construction opportunities. Foster Wheeler is based in Hamilton, Bermuda, and its operational headquarters are in Clinton, NJ.  Press release 9/21/06

Church & Dwight names new CFO The Princeton, NJ-based company elects Matthew Farrell as vice president of finance and chief financial officer, succeeding Zvi Eiref, who is retiring after serving as the Princeton company's top finance officer for two decades Star-Ledger 9/20/06

PSEG Energy Holdings Announces Partial Redemption of Its 8.625% Senior Notes Due 2008 Newark, NJ-based PSEG Energy Holdings L.L.C. (Energy Holdings), a subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated (PSEG), announces that it has called for redemption on October 23, 2006, $300,000,000 of its $507,200,000 outstanding 8.625% Senior Notes due 2008 (CUSIP# 696361LAF8), at the price computed on the third business day preceding such redemption date, as set forth in said Senior Notes. The redemption agent for the issue is U.S. Bank National Association. Additionally, Energy Holdings today is paying to PSEG a distribution of $425,000,000. News release 9/20/2006

Law firm to announce new merger A Philadelphia-based law firm with visions of being a national powerhouse will announce plans today to acquire an Essex County, NJ labor and employment boutique that has deep roots in the casino industry. Fox Rothschild, which will mark its 100th anniversary in a few months, will combine with Grotta, Glassman & Hoffman of Roseland, NJ. The deal has already been approved by the partners at both firms and is expected to go into effect Oct. 1. Star-Ledger 9/19/06

New Energy Practices Provide Alternative Income for Law Firms Law firm energy practices are heating up again, but the clients aren't the usual suspects. High oil prices and new legislation aimed at reducing greenhouse-gas emissions are spurring an interest in alternative fuel sources. California is leading the way in pushing for renewable energy policies while creating work for lawyers. "In the past two years our renewable-energy practice has more than tripled in size, and my own practice has more than doubled in size," says Morgan, Lewis & Bockius' Edward Zaelke LAW.com 9/19/06

American Water subsidiary closes on credit facility American Water said Monday that its financing subsidiary, American Water Capital Corp., has closed on an $800M revolving credit facility. The Voorhees, NJ, company's chief financial officer, Ellen Wolf, said the facility will be used to back up American Water Capital Corp.'s commercial-paper program, which is what American Water uses for its short-term credit needs. 9/19/06

Former Reed Smith partner in PA selected for 3rd Circuit Two of the vacancies on the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals could soon be filled now that President Bush has nominated Thomas Hardiman, a 41-year-old federal judge who has been on the bench in federal court in Pittsburgh for less than three years. If confirmed, Hardiman, a former partner at Reed Smith, will fill the vacancy created in July 2005 when Judge Richard L. Nygaard took senior status LAW.com 9/18/2006

Attorneys to Facilitate CIANJ Environmental Roundtable The  Somerville, NJ law firm Norris McLaughlin & Marcus, P.A.,  is  pleased  to  announce  that Member Edward A. Hogan and Associate Patrick T. Mottola will facilitate an Environmental Roundtable sponsored by the Environmental Business Council of the Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey (CIANJ) on September 27, 2006. Hogan will Chair the event and Mottola will serve as Associate Moderator. CIANJ   sponsors   events  that  enable  the  business  community  to effectively interact with leading government officials, networking programs that  bring  together potential business customers and partners, committees focusing  on  technology,  environmental  issues, human resources, banking, education,  health  care  and  legislative  issues,  and education programs featuring expert speakers on important business topics. As  co-chair  of the Norris McLaughlin & Marcus Environmental Law Group, Hogan  devotes his practice to environmental law and litigation, counseling manufacturers,  commercial  and  industrial  landlords and highly-regulated service  businesses  in all aspects of environmental law and litigation. He has  written  and  co-authored  many  articles and alerts on the subject of environmental  law. He has also presented seminars and presentations on the subject since 1983. Hogan  is  or has served as Chairman of the Environmental Law Section of  the  New  Jersey  State Bar Association, the New Jersey OSHA & Business Communication  Alliance,  the Technical Regulations Advisory Coalition, and the  Environmental  Committees  of the Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey, the Ironbound Business Association, and the New Jersey Business and Industry Association.  A  resident  of Liberty Corner, Hogan earned his J.D. from Georgetown University,  his  M.F.S.  from  Yale  University  School  of  Forestry  and Environmental Studies and his B.S. from Saint Peter’s College.  A  resident  of  Franklin  Township,  Warren County, Mottola focuses his practice   on  environmental  compliance,  regulation  and  litigation.  He regularly serves clients on environmental issues including ISRA compliance, site   remediation  and  Brownfields  redevelopment  projects,  underground storage  tank  laws,  and  permitting,  including  air,  water,  waste  and wetlands. Mottola has served in litigation and enforcement matters relating to  wetlands  delineation,  CAFRA,  hazardous waste, insurance coverage for mold contamination, and the New Jersey Spill Compensation and Control Act. Mottola   is  a  member  of  the  American  and  New  Jersey  State  Bar Associations,  the  New Jersey Chamber of Commerce Environmental Committee, the Environmental Business Council of the Commerce and Industry Association of  New  Jersey,  the  Association  of Engineering Geologists, as well as a Barrister  of  the Justice Stewart G. Pollock Environmental American Inn of Court. 
He  has  been  published in the New Jersey Law Journal and Commerce Magazine,  and  has  spoken  on  Environmental  Law  and Regulation for the Rutgers University-Cook College Continuing Professional Education Program.  Mottola  received  his J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law his A.B. in Philosophy and Geology from Hamilton College. 9/17/2006

Chairman says stand-alone outlook for PSEG is strong E. James Ferland, the chairman and CEO of PSEG, said today that, while he was disappointed the plan to merge with Exelon would not be completed, the business outlook for his company is strong.  “The merger would have provided strategic benefits for PSEG and real benefits for New Jersey,” said Ferland. “It is unfortunate that our intense effort to reach a comprehensive settlement with the state’s Board of Public Utilities was not successful. We simply could not achieve agreement on issues ranging from market power mitigation to electric and gas rate concessions.” Ferland emphasized, however, that PSEG’s current stand-alone business outlook is one of the most positive in the company’s history, given the favorable pricing in energy markets and improvements in the performance of our own Salem and Hope Creek nuclear plants. “In addition, the company took strong steps over the last two years to improve our financial stability and reduce our international exposure,” he said. News release 9/17/2006                                  

Flaster-Greenberg attorneys in the news Janet S. Kole, chair of the Environmental Law Practice Group at Flaster/Greenberg, has been selected to write the forward for the recently published American Bar Association (ABA) - Section of Litigation book -- The Litigation Manual: Depositions. Kole is a former co-chair and member of Counsel for the ABA Section
of Litigation who has more than 22 years experience handling complex environmental litigation. Culled from the pages of the ABA magazine Litigation, The Litigation Manual: Depositions is filled with practice-tested methods provided by counsel the ABA considers
to  be some of the finest minds with respect to the topic.     

Flaster/Greenberg environmental law shareholder Mitchell H. Kizner was recently named
head of the Litigation Committee of the Environmental Law Section of the New Jersey
State Bar Association. Kizner is a past trustee of the section. 

Kizner, a member of the firm's Real Estate, Land Use, and Environmental Law Practice Groups, represents clients in environmental and insurance matters as part of his active litigation and commercial law practice. He is A frequent author of environmental law articles published in the New Jersey Law Journal. 9/14/06 

Hudson Energy sells stake to grow A Ridgewood, NJ-based energy service company has turned to a private equity firm to provide funding to build a multi-state enterprise that would provide electricity and natural gas to commercial, industrial and multi-tenant residential customers. Hudson Energy Services says it has
sold a controlling interest to Chicago-based Lake Capital, a private equity firm. Hudson was founded in Ridgewood in 2002 by Abe Grohman, who remains its president. Deryl Brown, an energy industry veteran, has been brought in as chief executive by Lake Capital. The company will remain based in Ridgewood, but Brown will be based in Texas. Hudson Energy sells gas in New Jersey and gas and electricity in New York. It provides the energy through networks owned by major utilities, mostly Orange and Rockland Utilities and Consolidated Edison, Brown said. Bergen Record  9/14/06 

Pallet recycling company gets state help to locate in PA American Fibertech Corp., which does business under the Industrial Pallet Corp. name, has purchased a warehouse in Greencastle, PA, and installed the latest technology equipment to start a pallet recycling operation on the I-81 corridor. The Greencastle facility houses production and office functions totaling about 50,000 square feet.  The Department of Community and Economic Development, offered American Fibertech a $576,000 financial package to locate its new  facility in Franklin County. The company is also eligible to apply for a $1,275,000 loan through the Citizens Job Bank Program, which offers low-interest-rate loans to companies that commit to creating or expanding jobs in Pennsylvania. AFC's investment in the project is currently over $3.3M Recycling Today 9/14/06

Foster Wheeler gets contract for Lucite International's new chemical facility in Singapore Foster Wheeler Ltd.  announced today that its UK subsidiary, Foster Wheeler Energy Limited, and its Singapore subsidiary, Foster Wheeler Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., both of which are part of its Global Engineering and Construction group, have been awarded a reimbursable engineering, procurement and construction  contract by Lucite International Singapore Pte. Ltd. for a new methyl methacrylate  manufacturing facility to be built on Jurong Island, Singapore. News release 9/14/06

Saul Ewing acquires D.C. firm Law firm Saul Ewing says it will acquire 20-lawyer Schmeltzer Aptaker & Shepard of Washington. The combination, set to be completed Oct. 1, is subject to final partner approval, which is expected this month. Saul Ewing Managing Partner David Antzis said Schmeltzer Aptaker specializes in labor and employment law but also has a presence in venture capital transaction matters and public policy law. Antzis said the firm started in the 1970s as an offshoot of Morgan Lewis & Bockius. He said Schmeltzer Aptaker and Saul Ewing began discussions last fall but did not move forward until this past spring. Saul Ewing, which is based in Philadelphia, has a six-lawyer Washington office in the Georgetown section. Antzis said that group will move into Schmeltzer Aptaker's offices in the Watergate building. He said one of Saul Ewing's chief strategic objectives was to grow its two smallest offices in Washington and Newark, N.J. Antzis said with the addition of 12 labor and employment lawyers, Saul Ewing now has 25 firmwide. He said the firm has also not had a presence in public policy practice areas such as maritime and international trade. Ira M. Shepard, one of the named partners at Schmeltzer Aptaker, will be co-managing partner of the Washington office along with Howard Slavit, Saul Ewing's current office managing partner. Saul Ewing has roughly 290 lawyers --130 in the Philadelphia area, 70 in Baltimore, and roughly 20 each in Princeton, N.J.; Wilmington, Del.; and Harrisburg, Pa. Antzis said the firm is exploring expansion opportunities in Newark. Philadelphia Business Journal
LAW. com  9/13/06

Sokol Behot & Fiorenzo names Scott E. Rekant as Of Counsel to the firm
Sokol, Behot & Fiorenzo is pleased to announce that Scott E. Rekant has joined Of Counsel to the firm. Mr. Rekant has an extensive background in government, regulatory, administrative, environmental, and litigation matters, and will join the firm’s environmental and regulatory practice groups.  He most recently served as Counsel to the New Jersey Credit Union League, where he was an advocate for the State’s Credit Unions on State and Federal legislative and regulatory issues.  He has previously served as a New Jersey Deputy Attorney General in the Tort Litigation, Environmental and Transportation Sections of the Division of Law.  He is a graduate of Colgate University and Rutgers University School of Law, and is admitted to practice in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, the Federal District Courts for New Jersey and the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the Third Circuit of the United States Court of Appeals.  Mr. Rekant is a resident of Monmouth Junction, New Jersey, where he lives with his wife Debra, and three children.  He will be working at the firm’s Hackensack office. 9/13/06

Plug to collaborate on market research, R&D on solid oxide fuel cells NexTech Materials Ltd. of
Ohio and Plug Power Inc. of Latham, NY are collaborating on the development of solid oxide fuel cell power systems. NexTech and Plug said they plan to complete a number of joint activities including market research, fuel cell stack development and testing, system design and prototype construction. The two companies said they would hire eight scientists and engineers to conduct the research and development. NexTech is a developer and supplier of fuel cell materials and components. In the past lug's (Nasdaq: PLUG) emphasis has been on fuel cells that use hydrogen as fuel. The Business Review (Albany) 9/12/06 

Hydroelectric plant celebrates upgrades with fireworks Brookfield Power, the Canadian company
that owns the School Street hydroelectric station in Cohoes, NY will sponsor fireworks at Cohoes Falls
Sunday night, Sept. 24. The fireworks display will mark the first phase of improvements at the 38-megawatt power plant, which was built in 1911. The renovations include an upgrade of the park which overlooks the falls on the Mohawk River. The company spent $1.4M on the project. The Business Review (Albany) 9/12/06

NJ firms paying big bucks for first-year lawyers New Jersey's biggest firms are forking over starting salaries of around $120,000. And that trend is showing no signs of slowing down. Star-Ledger 9/12/06 

Dewey and Orrick in merger talks New York's Dewey Ballantine and San Francisco's Orrick, Herrington
& Sutcliffe are discussing a possible merger, the leaders of both firms confirm. LAW.com 9/12/06

Western NY could see first ethanol pumps in 1007 Buffalo Business First 9/11/06

Solar plant builder sees bright future for 'renewables' Even as North Carolina considers
requiring utilities to buy a portion of their electricity from renewable sources, at least one
entrepreneur is betting that the demand for solar-powered energy will surge in coming months.
Environmentalist Richard Harkrader has entered into an equal partnership with Maryland-based
SunEdison to form Carolina Solar Energy, which has won contracts to build two solar-powered
plants in the state with a combined investment of $1.4M Triangle Business Journal 9/11/06 

Liquid Assets: New breed of bankers deal with wetlands In North Carolina, these bankers
deal in a complex currency. They assemble blocks of wetlands from which developers and
governmental agencies can make withdrawals if construction projects unavoidably damage other
wetlands. Such transactions are being fueled by the intersection of development and environmental
law - and they are fueling the growth of a different kind of banking industry. One company cashing
in on the demand is Environmental Banc & Exchange. In June, EBX announced that it had won
six new stream and wetlands restoration projects with a combined value of more than $11M from
the North Carolina Environmental Enhancement Program. Triangle Business Journal 9/11/06

New law spurs million-dollar loans on waste facilities A new Massachusetts state law
aimed at recycling solid waste from construction sites has triggered a string of multimillion-dollar
financing projects at MassDevelopment, a quasi-public economic development agency in Boston.
Over the past 20 months, three local companies have issued more than $21M in MassDevelopment-
sponsored bonds to upgrade or build waste-management facilities that comply with the new
guidelines. Agency officials said another three projects budgeted at around $20M are in the
pipeline. Those deals are expected to close in 2007 Boston Business Journal 9/11/06  

Sunoco expands stock buyback effort Sunoco Inc. said Thursday that its board of directors
has authorized an additional $1B in stock buybacks. The company did not disclose a time frame
for the purchases. This year, the Philadelphia-based company has bought back about $635M
worth of stock, or about 8.6M shares. Since 2000, it has spent $2.3B on 69M shares, bringing
about a decrease in the company's net shares outstanding of 31 percent.
Philadelphia Business Journal 9/7/06

NJ gas-station owners sue BP over changes Two dozen dealers around the state are locked
in a bitter dispute with the British company about its efforts to unilaterally terminate their marketing
agreements. The dealers, who have tried to block the move by filing a lawsuit against BP in U.S.
District Court in Newark, face huge increases in rents at their gas stations or the prospect of buying
the properties at prices that they argue are far greater than fair market value Star-Ledger 9/6/06 

Sims reports strong numbers for year Sims Group Ltd. reported a profit of $196.6M for fiscal 2006, meeting the company’s expectations. Meanwhile, the company reported sales revenue increasing 46
percent to $3.8B. The jump in sales reflected the contribution from Sims Hugo Neu, NJ/NY, as well as
strong sales volume and high metal prices, especially those of nonferrous metals Recycling Today 9/6/06

ISRI awards $75,000 in recycling scholarships Sixty-three students, including some from PA and
NY, will split $75,000 in academic scholarships from the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries’ Recycling Research Foundation,  the association has announced Recycling Today 9/6/2006

Ballard opens third new office in six weeks Philadelphia-based law firm Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll continued its geographic expansion Tuesday by opening a Bethesda, Md., office with the addition of partners Roger Winston, Timothy Martin, and Marc DeCandia, and of counsel Shelah Lynn, all formerly of Linowes & Blocher of Bethesda. It is the third office opening for Ballard Spahr in the past six weeks. The firm launched offices in Las Vegas and Phoenix on July 17 and Aug. 1, respectively. Philadelphia Business Journal 9/5/06

Law firm shortens name DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary said Tuesday it has shortened its name to DLA Piper. The change comes 20 months after the historic merger between law firms Piper Rudnick of Baltimore, Gray Cary Ware & Freidenrich of San Diego, and DLA of London. Firm officials said it reflects the name the majority of the firm's attorneys and clients have used for several months. In the United States, the legal name of the firm will be DLA Piper US LLP. DLA Piper has nearly 3,000 lawyers worldwide with roughly 60 based in Philadelphia. Philadelphia Business Journal 9/5/06 

Builders' association starts Web site for consumers The New Jersey Builders Association announced the launch of a Web site on Tuesday aimed at helping consumers through the home buying process and home improvements. The site, www.askthenjbuilder.org, complements NJBA's weekly newspaper series, Ask the
New Jersey Builder, which is published in newspapers around NJ. Philadelphia Business Journal  9/5/06

Ex-PSC chairwoman to head Albany law office of Green & Seifter Maureen Helmer, former chairwoman of the New York State Public Service Commission, will join the Syracuse law firm of
Green & Seifter Attorneys PLLC, and head its new Albany office. Helmer was head of the PSC from
1998 to January 2003. She joined the commission as a member in 1997. The Business Review 9/5/06

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