Four Kramer Levin Attorneys Certified as LEED Accredited Professionals: Join Select Group of Attorneys Nationwide and Enhance Firm’s Expertise in Green Initiatives in New Construction and Renovations

Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP announced today that associates Inge Hindriks, Elizabeth F. Larsen, Pamela Swidler and Michael S. Warren have received credentials from the Green Building Certification Institute as Accredited Professionals in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED AP). As part of the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Green Building Rating System, the LEED AP program was developed to assure that professionals have the latest knowledge and understanding of green building practices.

With this certification, the four lawyers join a select group of attorneys (approximately 500 lawyers nationwide out of 102,000 total LEED AP designations) who have recognized the significance of green building trends on the future of the building industry and have responded by getting certified to become LEED APs.

“Having these four attorneys earn this credential is a significant accomplishment," said Paul S. Pearlman, Kramer Levin’s managing partner. "It enhances our practice strengths and expands our ability to serve our clients, but also further solidifies Kramer Levin’s commitment to Green Building and sustainable industry practices.”

Elizabeth Larsen is a member of the firm's Land Use Department, which specializes in the laws governing zoning, historic preservation and public incentives for development. Inge Hindriks, Pamela Swidler and Michael Warren are members of the firm's Real Estate Department, which provides the full range of real estate services both within New York and throughout the United States, including property development, acquisition and sales, financings and workouts, condominium matters, joint ventures and development rights transactions. Both departments collaborate closely with the firm's Environmental Department.

Developed by the USGBC, the LEED building rating system provides building owners and operators with a concise framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions. A LEED credential provides employers, policymakers and other stakeholders with assurances of an individual`s current level of competence and is the mark of the most qualified, educated and influential green building professionals in the marketplace.