Green Team

The KMK Green Team exists to assist developers, property owners and construction professionals with the implementation of Green building principles that enhance the value of their projects and take advantage of available incentives. Our team is comprised of real estate, environmental, economic development, construction and tax lawyers who have experience and knowledge about Green development issues.

The team is available to:

• Assist in site selection
• Address “Green” land use requirements
• Assist with brownfield re-use incentives and environmental concerns
• Prepare construction and project governing documentation to ensure LEED^® compliance
• Resolve LEED^® certification disputes
• Negotiate and advise on carbon emission trading and climate change issues
• Arrange other tax or financial incentives available to clients as a result of conservation measures that are in play when the project goes Green or seeks LEED^® certification

In addition, the Green Team can assist merchant power generators and other producers of renewable energy that are responding to the Ohio Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard adopted in 2008, including wind farm, solar and geothermal leases and easements, power plant siting approvals, other regulatory, land use and entitlements issues, and any state or federal tax credits available based on the capital investment.

As with your other development projects, the KMK Green Team can assist you on your project from concept to lease-up.

Two of our attorneys are LEED^® AP Certified: Brenna L.K. Penrose and Sean S. Suder.

Additional information regarding the ways in which KMK strives to be "Lean and Green" is available.

Representative Engagements

• Ohio representation of wind farm developer on site acquisition and siting issues
• Negotiate green space conservation easements for land owner of Ohio River view property
• Negotiate and handle gifts of permanent green space to park board
• Negotiate loan transaction for wind farm in Illinois
  Bond financing counsel for LEED Certified Silver projects in Cincinnati, Ohio
• Advise clients on façade easements for historic conservation and rehabilitation of locally designated historic property
• Financing of ethanol plant in South Bend, Indiana, and acquisition of additional sites
• Big box reuse in Hamilton, Ohio
• Construction contract terms related to “green building” requirements – various projects
• Redevelopment of former manufacturing facility (RCRA site) into office park
• Multiple brownfield redevelopment deals
• Organization of client’s residential LEED certification business

News

• KMK Attorney Sean S. Suder Leads Charge to Bring U.S. Public Service Academy to Cincinnati
• KMK Green Team Attorney Sean Suder Earns LEED AP Certification
• KMK Green Team Attorney Brenna Penrose Earns LEED AP Certification
• KMK Attorney Sean S. Suder to Serve on the City of Cincinnati Climate Protection Plan Task Force
• Keating Muething & Klekamp Forms "Green" Team

Events

• Sustainability on Trial: Contracting and Litigation Risks with High Performance Buildings, Green Buildings & New Technology Conference, 2008
• Sustainability on Trial: Contracting and Litigation Risks with High Performance Buildings, Getting into Green vs. Leaping into LEED, September 11, 2008

Publications

• Update on Cincinnati Environmental Justice Ordinance, December 18, 2009
• Certifying Place with the New LEED-ND Designation, Midwest Real Estate News, Minnesota Real Estate Journal, Spring 2009
• Legal Alert: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, March 2, 2009
• Legal Alert: The "Greening" of Real Estate Development: More Green in Your Pockets, December 13, 2007