MIAMI, FLA – In its ongoing effort to educate, engage and enlighten South Florida’s future attorneys, members of Fowler White Burnett’s Environmental Law Practice Group recently participated in two separate panel discussions before students at FIU College of Law and the University of Miami School of Law.
The FIU event, hosted by the Environmental Law Society, was held Oct. 29 and addressed issues relating to environmental enforcement, toxic torts and maritime law. The University of Miami event, which took place Nov. 3 in Professor Felix Mormann’s Environmental Law class, focused on environmental enforcement.
The panel discussions were designed to showcase different areas of practice in environmental law and opportunities available to students. Participants discussed what it is like to practice law in the environmental field, thus helping students to make informed decisions about their future.
At the FIU Law event, Howard Fox, a member of the firm’s Environmental and Land Use Practice, was joined by colleagues Robert Bouchard and Christine Walker.
Mr. Fox spoke about environmental enforcement and regulation issues including how the enforcement process works and the differences between federal, state and local enforcement. Mr. Fox’s broad-based practice encompasses environmental and land use litigation, regulation and transactions, as well as toxic torts and product liability. During his career, Mr. Fox has handled cases against nearly every large environmental law practice in Florida.
Mr. Bouchard tackled the topic of toxic torts, a specific type of personal injury that occurs as a result of exposure to toxic materials or chemicals. Mr. Bouchard has nearly 40 years of experience as a civil litigator, during which he has successfully represented a diverse group of clients, including some of the country’s leading healthcare institutions and practitioners, manufacturers, distributors, retailers and insurers.
Ms. Walker, a member of Fowler White Burnett’s maritime practice, discussed various aspects of maritime law including jurisdictional issues. Ms. Walker earned her LL.M in Admiralty from Tulane University Law School and is widely published in her field. The firm’s maritime practice represents all facets of the industry including cargo carriers, cruise lines, commercial and yacht owners, charterers, shippers, terminal operators, and insurers.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jodi A. Mazer, who prosecutes environmental cases, also was among the speakers.
At the UM Law event, Mr. Fox, a former Senior Attorney in the Civil Enforcement Section of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), discussed environmental enforcement matters based on his work with FDEP, as well as his experience in private practice. He was again joined by Mazer, along with Barbara Brown of Miami-Dade County’s Environmental Resources Management Enforcement Division.
The attorneys with Fowler White Burnett’s Environmental & Land Use Practice handle a wide range of matters including those relating to air pollution; commercial and real estate transactions; energy; environmental litigation; legislation, rulemaking and policy; permitting compliance and audits; project development; and water resources.