Maribel N. Nicholson-Choice

Practice Details

• Languages
  Spanish
• Firm Information
  Position

  Shareholder

  Firm Name

  Greenberg Traurig, LLP
• Representative Cases & Transactions
  Cases

  Experience: Environmental Law: Negotiated a Consent Decree
  settlement of federal
  state environmental liability, fines,
  penalties under the Clean Water Act on behalf of a financial institution seeking to foreclose on collateral property. Following foreclosure, she also helped the client resolve numerous environmental permit violations
  avoid significant fines
  penalties. : Negotiated with the state regulatory agency to assess the nature
  extent of petroleum contamination
  remediation under Florida's petroleum cleanup program on behalf of a financial institution seeking to foreclose on collateral property contaminated from underground gas storage tanks. Following the property foreclosure, obtained state cleanup funding for a portion of the contamination
  a No Further Action Letter enabling the client to resell the property. : Performed environmental due diligence for client seeking to foreclose on collateral property containing NPDES stormwater violations
  significant adverse impacts to wetl
  s associated with debtor's development of a golf course. Also negotiated with the state regulatory agency to mitigate wetl
  impacts
  resolve stormwater violations under the Clean Water Act, while helping the client to avoid enforcement action
  any related fines
  penalties. : Provided environmental due diligence consultation to a lender financing a multimillion-dollar acquisition of gas stations located throughout the Southeast United States. : Provided environmental
  l
  use due diligence consultation, including environmental permit transfers, terminations,
  new permit applications, for 14 plastic manufacturing facilities located throughout the United States. : Provided international cruise ship line with environmental permitting
  policy services for marina expansion project located in South America.
  Environment Litigation: Defended speaker plant siting decisions against environmental justice claims. : Led in negotiating
  resolving a number of cases under the Florida Department of Environmental Protection cleanup programs such as the Brownfields, dry cleaner,
  petroleum cleanup programs.
  Energy Industry: Represented solar energy development companies. : Oversaw environmental remediation
  redevelopment of a former city coal-gasification plant to a city park. : Represented ConocoPhillips in class action lawsuits arising from Superfund Site.
  L
  Development: Negotiated state l
  s leases, state submerged l
  s disclaimers,
  private claims in submerged l
  s in conjunction with the development of docking facilities serving luxury condominiums projects. : Represented $620M private equity fund in purchase of contaminated properties for cleanup
  redevelopment into substantial mixed-use commercial development
  livable downtown centers, i.e., student housing, hotel/restaurant,
  other integrated mixed-uses including neighborhood,
  historic buildings.
  Government
  Administrative Law: Served as special legal counsel to Blueprint 2000 Intergovernmental Agency consisting of the Tallahassee City Commission
  the Leon County Commission. : Represented emergent clean technology companies before the Florida Legislature
  the Executive Office of the Governor. : Led passage of statutory language contained in a comprehensive growth management legislation to renew
  extend for two years certain permits issued by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection
  water management districts, as well as build-out dates for certain developments of regional impact. : Led in drafting
  establishment of the Broward County Brownfields Program. : Primary participant in adoption of Florida's Unified Building Code. : Primary participant in adoption
  subsequent amendments to the Florida Brownfields Redevelopment Act.
  Government Experience: Special Counsel, Blueprint 2000 Intergovernmental Agency, 2003-Present : Former Chair, Tallahassee-Leon County Planning Commission, 2003-2012 : Member, Governor Crist's Energy Supply
  Dem
  Technical Work Group, 2008-2009 : Former Member, Florida Environmental Equity
  Justice Study Commission, 1994-1995 : Assistant City Attorney, City Tallahassee, 1991-1994 : Former Vice-Chair, Florida Environmental Regulation Commission, 1995-2001
  Previous Experience: In 1999, served on the EPA's National Justice Advisory Council, Air
  Water Subcommittee's Urban Air Toxics Working Group. : In 1998, lobbied the Florida Legislature for state funding to establish the Center for Environmental Equity
  Justice at FAMU's Environmental Science Institute. : In 1994, lobbied the Florida Legislature for state funding to establish the Environmental Science Institute at Florida Agricultural
  Mechanical University to help increase the number of minorities entering into the environmental law profession.
• Additional Links
  http://www.gtlaw.com/People/Maribel-N-Nicholson-Choice