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Farella Braun + Martel Partners Deborah Tellier and Robert Hines to Lead American Bar Association Committees

September 25, 2009 Announcement

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 25, 2009:  Farella Braun + Martel's Deborah Tellier and Buzz Hines, both partners in the firm's Environmental Law Department, were appointed to leadership positions for the American Bar Association (ABA) and will serve one-year terms through August 2010.  Tellier serves as programs vice chair for the Waste and Resource Recovery Committee, which is part of the ABA's Section of Environment, Energy and Resources.  The ABA's Section of Litigation named Hines co-chair of the ABA 2010 Annual Meeting in San Francisco.

In her ABA role, Tellier serves as a primary point of contact for programming and resources related to waste and resource recovery management between the Section and its members, and she assists in the planning, development and implementation of Section programs, proposals and initiatives.  At Farella, Tellier counsels business and industry clients on compliance with federal, state and local environmental laws, with an emphasis on hazardous waste laws and regulations.  She advises clients on the environmental aspects of Brownfields developments and other real property transactions.  She represents companies in administrative proceedings and negotiations regarding soil and groundwater cleanups, securing operational permits and permit variances, and enforcement actions involving environmental issues.  Tellier has experience with establishing and monitoring environmental management systems, audits and sustainability programs and environmental due diligence investigations for acquiring, leasing and financing real property. 

Tellier has served eight terms on the Executive Committee of the Environmental Law Section of the Bar Association of San Francisco.  She recently held the position of associate general counsel and chief compliance officer for the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation which advances environmental conservation initiatives and cutting-edge scientific research around the world.  She received her J.D. from the University of Oregon (1987) and her B.S. in environmental policy analysis and planning from the University of California, Davis (1982).

Hines will play a large role in planning the Aug. 5-8, 2010 ABA Annual Meeting in San Francisco, while frequently attending a number of ABA meetings and conferences throughout the year.  He also regularly contributes to programs that help Section members with professional growth.  Hines chairs Farella's Air Quality and Climate Change Group and has practiced environmental law for more than 20 years.  He represents clients in complex governmental and private litigation, including state and federal cost recovery actions; natural resource damage claims; air, water and hazardous waste actions; and multi-media agency proceedings.  He also provides regulatory representation and compliance counseling on selection and implementation of site investigations and cleanup.  Hines leads internal investigations and assists clients with voluntary disclosures, as well as provides domestic and international counseling regarding chemical regulation and compliance with federal and state environmental laws.

Hines' ABA Annual Meeting appointment follows two terms on other ABA committees, including co-chairing the Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee and co-chairing the Environmental Litigation Committee.  A court appointed mediator with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Hines is a frequent speaker on environmental law topics and has served as an adjunct professor for Golden Gate University School of Law's Environmental Law Program.  Hines earned his J.D. from Golden Gate University (1985) and his B.A. in economics from the University of California, Berkeley (1980).

The ABA has more than 400,000 members and provides law school accreditation, continuing legal education, information about the law, programs to assist lawyers and judges in their work, and initiatives to improve the legal system for the public.

Farella Braun + Martel represents clients throughout the United States and abroad in sophisticated business transactions and high-stakes commercial, civil and criminal litigation. Founded in 1962, the firm is headquartered in San Francisco and maintains an office in the Napa Valley focused on the wine industry. Farella Braun + Martel lawyers are known for their imaginative legal solutions, dynamism and intellectual creativity. With an unwavering service ethic and interdisciplinary team approach, the firm is committed to advancing clients' objectives in the most effective, coordinated and efficient manner. Farella Braun + Martel is a green business. www.fbm.com

Contacts:

Melinda Hepp / Traci Stuart
Blattel Communications
415.397.4811
[email protected] / [email protected]

Cheryl Loof
Farella Braun + Martel LLP
415.954.4433
[email protected]