Norman Selected as Law360 Environmental MVP

Mark Norman, a partner in the firm’s Cincinnati office, has been selected as a 2011 Law360 Environmental MVP.  He was one of four attorneys nationwide selected as an Environmental MVP.  According to Law360, Mr. Norman was selected for his work on the Hamilton County Clean Water Act consent decree, which allowed the county to commit nearly $2 billion in infrastructure improvements while protecting the county's finances and ratepayers.

A December 13, 2011  Law360 article entitled “Environmental MVP: Vorys Sater's Mark Norman” described his efforts.  The article states: “The consent decree was the first of its kind to include a phased approach, allowing flexibility in the pace and cost of the second phase of upgrades, Norman said.”

“Previous consent decrees with the EPA on similar projects had 20-to-25-year schedules, with specific projects and deadlines laid out at the start of the deal, regardless of changes in technology or a community's financial health. That kind of inflexibility led to the downfall of the earlier consent decree, Norman said. ‘When first proposed, it was really viewed as dead on arrival,’ Norman said. ‘We're thankful that the regulators listened; it was a massive team effort.’”

To read the entire article, please visit the Law360 website. (Subscription required).