Inaugural Green Matters Conference Brings Mayors, General Counsel and Regulatory Entities Together

Oct. 26, 2010 - PRLog -- New Orleans, LA – The Green Matters Conference, offering professionals from law firms, municipalities and corporations an educational opportunity about green cities, law and regulation, announced great success with its inaugural Green Matters Conference, “Green Cities, Business and Beyond,” held in New Orleans October 13-15, 2010.

The Green Matters Conference offers professionals from law firms, municipalities and industry the opportunity to participate in an environment where critical concepts of the intersections of green cities, law and regulation were addressed.  Attendees learned about mitigating environmental risk, compliance with EPA, DOJ, OSHA and regulatory bodies, guidelines for SMART cities, green building architecture and how to structure green cities, businesses and practices.

In addition to high-ranking municipal officials, such as New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, and government agency counsel such as Avi Garbow, Deputy General Counsel, United States EPA, there was participation by a number of notable organizations including DuPont, IBM, Wal-Mart and Solo Cup.  Richard Dailey, Wal-Mart’s Senior Director of Environmental Compliance, spoke on two panels:  Corporate Leadership Leading the Charge, and Greening of the Supply Chain.

Monica Bay, editor-in-chief of Law Technology News, cited the high-level speakers and broad agenda.  “What made this event so terrific was the cross-section of participants from government and the legal profession. Like an excellent fusion restaurant that marries exotic flavors, the combination is fiery and inspiring ...” Bay reported.  

The conference had four tracks, including legal, smart cities, sustainable businesses and economic development and attendees had the opportunity to learn and interact with sixty presenters across forty different sessions.

Additional content highlights from the conference:
•   Keynote address “LEED From Where I Sit” given by Susan Dorn, General Counsel, U.S. Green Building Council and Green Building Certification Institute;
•   “The Greening of the CIO” session by Florence Hudson of IBM, legal technology consultant Jeffrey Brandt of Brandt Consulting and Robert Hilliker, Virtual-Q Texas, Inc.;
•   “Environmental Law and the New Normal” session featured a panel of speakers with Beth Galante, Director, New Orleans Resource Center & Office Global Green; Chris Cheatham, attorney and consultant to the building industry; and Hugh Lambert, prominent plaintiff attorney in New Orleans.

“The Green Conference was the first of its kind, bringing together about 200 individuals from a variety of disciplines over the three days.  We had attorneys, environmentalists, architects and engineers, industry executives, city planners, mayors and more,” said Monty Lunn, executive director, Green Matters Conference.  “What brought them together was their collective interest in sustainability initiatives and the unique forum we provided for sharing ideas, best practices and experiences. And, of course, the ambiance of the New Orleans setting! The feedback has been exceptional and the enthusiasm of the attendees has prevailed long after the flights home."

"The speakers at the conference were excellent!  I learned not only about the redevelopment of the Ninth Ward in New Orleans and the town of Greensburg, Kansas, but also about sustainability initiatives in some of the largest companies in the U.S. and legal issues concerning green building codes and certification,” said Karin T. O’Connell, of Counsel, Gould & Ratner, Chicago.  “It was a terrific conference for enhancing “green” knowledge in general, with plenty of networking opportunities.  I will certainly return to New Orleans next year for this conference.”  

The conference provided CLE credits for legal professionals, along with the opportunity to network with colleagues and peers. It also offered a LEED® pre-certification training course.

For additional information, visit www.greenlegalmatters.com.

About the Green Matters Conference “Green Cities, Business & Beyond”
The Green Matters Conference offers professionals from law firms, municipalities and industry the opportunity to participate in an environment where critical concepts of the intersections of green cities, law and regulation will be addressed. The conference theme is “Green Cities, Business and Beyond.” Attendees will learn about mitigating environmental risk, compliance with EPA, DOJ, OSHA and regulatory bodies, guidelines for SMART cities, green building architecture and how to structure green cities, businesses and practices. The three-day conference has four tracks, including legal, smart cities, sustainable businesses and economic development. For more information, visit www.greenlegalmatters.com.

Contact:
Monty Lunn
265 West Robert E. Lee Blvd.
New Orleans, LA 70124
P: 610.745.7551
monty@greenlegalmatters.com

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The Green Matters Conference offers professionals from law firms, municipalities and industry the opportunity to participate in an environment where critical concepts of the intersections of green cities, law and regulation will be addressed.