SRH Law – Saunders | Raubvogel | Hand
Making a difference is our practice.
Attorney Justin McCabe will be presenting tomorrow on the process of determining the need for and obtaining a patent. His presentation, The Nuts and Bolts of Intellectual Property Protection, is hosted by Generator Makerspace and is free, but space is limited. It is scheduled for Tuesday, February 2nd at 5:30 PM, held at 250 Main Street, in the Memorial Auditorium Annex in Burlington, Vermont.
To read more about the presentation and to register, click here.
SRH Law is pleased to announce that Patent and IP Attorney Justin McCabe has become a partner in the firm and that John Kassel and Jonathan Rose have joined the firm. The firm also announces that it has established a summer fellowship in Betsy Catlin’s memory.
Justin McCabe, New Partner
Justin joined SRH Law in 2012 and since that time has assisted the firm’s clients in all areas of intellectual property law, including drafting patents and prosecuting them before the USPTO, litigating patent and trademark infringement disputes, negotiating intellectual property agreements, advising on trademarks, copyrights, and trade secret protection, and assisting with software, trademark, and copyright licensing. His particular patent experience spans several different technological disciplines and complements the firm’s focus on assisting clients in the energy, environmental, healthcare, technology, and green consumer product industries. Justin is also an adjunct professor at Vermont Law School where he teaches International Intellectual Property Law and is involved with Montpelier’s "generator" facility, Local 64.
Before joining SRH Law, Justin practiced several years at another prominent Burlington, Vermont firm.
Click here to learn more about Justin and his practice.
John Kassel, Of Counsel
John was one of the firm’s original founding partners, and is rejoining the firm in an of counsel capacity. John most recently served as Conservation Law Foundation’s President from 2009-2014. John’s practice will focus on energy and environmental issues, and strategic consulting for non-profit and for-profit entities. Prior to co-founding the firm in 2002, John served as Secretary of Vermont’s Agency of Natural Resources in the administration of Gov. Howard Dean, and as a prosecutor and commercial litigator before that. John’s volunteer experience includes board and other service with many organizations dedicated to community and environmental health.
Click here to learn more about John and his practice.
Jonathan Rose, Senior Associate
Jon comes to SRH Law after several years of practice at the Vermont Attorney General’s Office representing the State of Vermont, its officials, employees and executive agencies in a wide range of civil matters in state and federal courts. Examples include civil rights claims, public records act litigation, complex contract and construction disputes, administrative actions, and constitutional challenges, as well as appellate litigation in the Vermont Supreme Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
At SRH Law, Jon will focus on civil and regulatory litigation, and support the firm’s energy, environmental, municipal, and employment law practice groups.
Click here to learn more about Jon and his practice.
Together with their colleagues at SRH Law, Justin, John, and Jon are committed to helping clients make a difference in their communities and the broader world. We are excited to welcome Justin into the partnership and look forward to working with John and Jon.
In Memory of Betsy Catlin (1978-2015)
As many of you know, our dear colleague Betsy Catlin passed away at the end of last year after a long battle with depression. Betsy worked at the firm for more than six years and was an invaluable member of our team. Her wit, wisdom, and unbridled determination to do good through her practice of law was evident in everything she accomplished here. We continue to mourn her loss. Her family prepared a touching remembrance that is available here.
The firm will be establishing a summer legal fellowship program in Betsy’s name, and will also host a day of service in her memory at a non-profit connected to the causes Betsy cared about and fought for during her life. We will publish the date and non-profit organization we will be working with in advance, and welcome those who knew and worked with Betsy to join us if you can.
About SRH Law
At SRH Law we’re focused on making a difference with our practice. We work with clients — including businesses, nonprofits, cooperatives, government entities, and individuals — who share our commitment to making a difference in their communities and the broader world. We take our inspiration from our clients’ good work and help them excel in their business or mission by resolving their legal issues with creativity and integrity. How can we help you?
On January 5, 2016, the Vermont Public Service Board issued a Section 248 Certificate of Public Good for the installation and construction of TDI New England’s proposed “New England Clean Power Link Project,” also known as the NECPL. The NECPL is a 1,000 MW electric transmission line that will supply renewable energy from Canada to the New England region, and is one of the largest electric generation or transmission projects ever to be approved in Vermont. The line will run underwater or underground for approximately 154-miles from Alburgh to Ludlow, through Lake Champlain and within public road rights-of-way.
With its order approving the NECPL, the Public Service Board issued a press release noting its finding that “the transmission line will provide significant environmental, electrical, and economic benefits for Vermont and the region, including, diversifying the state and regional fuel supply, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, creating hundreds of in-state construction jobs, producing over a billion dollars in new state and local revenues and public good benefits, and potentially lowering electricity costs.” TDI New England has committed hundreds of millions of dollars over the Project’s lifetime towards the creation of several public good benefit funds to support clean-up efforts for Lake Champlain, state renewable energy programs, and Vermont electric ratepayer relief.
SRH Law represents TDI New England, and handled the Project’s Section 248 Petition before the Public Service Board. For the full text of the Board’s Final Order and CPG, see the Public Service Board website. Read more about the Public Service Board’s approval of the NECPL in the Burlington Free Press article “Under-lake power cable approved by VT.”
It is with great sadness that we inform you that our colleague Betsy Catlin passed away last week after a long battle with depression.
Betsy worked at the firm for more than six years and was an invaluable member of our team. Her wit, wisdom, and unbridled determination to do good through her practice of law was evident in everything she accomplished here. We will miss her greatly – more than words can properly express.
Her family prepared a touching remembrance that is available here.
Our thoughts go out to all of Betsy’s family and friends during this difficult time.
Last month Champlain Housing Trust received letters from the town of Shelburne explaining that its motel, Harbor Place, was in violation of the town’s zoning bylaws. CHT defends the use of the Harbor Place as a motel where most of the guests receive public assistance for short-term stays.
Stories about the issue have appeared in VPR and the Burlington Free Press. Click through to read more.
SRH Law attorney Justin McCabe will present this month’s Core Business seminar on intellectual property protection for small business owners and employees. The lecture is part of the Core Business monthly mini-seminar series, held on the last Friday of each month.
The lecture will be held on the second floor at 156 College Street in Burlington, from 8:30 to 9:30 am. To register, click here. Limited space available.
SRH Law’s Geoff Hand and Brian Dunkiel will be speaking at the second annual Vermont Development Conference, presented by White + Burke Real Estate Investment Advisors, on Wednesday, November 4th.
In “Digging Deeper: Demystifying Contaminated Soils, the Regulations, and the Implications,” Brian Dunkiel will discuss the management of contaminated soils in urban development projects.
Geoff Hand will speak about incorporating environmental due diligence into project management in “How Environmental Due Diligence Impacts Project Financing and Economics.”
The conference will take place from 8 AM to 7 PM at the Sheraton Burlington Hotel & Conference Center, located at 870 Williston Road in South Burlington. For more information about the event, visit the White + Burke website. To register, click here.
SRH Law attorney Drew Kervick will be moderating a panel on the subject of Vermont health care reform at the Vermont Bar Association’s 137th Annual Meeting on Friday, September 25th in Stowe.
His presentation, “Health Care Reform & Regulation in the State of Vermont: An Overview” will give attendees differing perspectives on the subject, with an emphasis on health reform initiatives by the Green Mountain Care Board.
Other speakers in the session include Michael Donofrio, Robin Lunge, Rebecca Heintz, Tom Huebner and Kaili Kuiper.
The meeting will be hosted by the Stoweflake Resort & Conference Center in Stowe on Thursday, September 24th & Friday the 25th.
To view the event brochure and register, click here. The early registration deadline is September 17th.
The Vermont Supreme Court affirmed the Environmental Division’s decision last week, after a year-long appeal process challenging the Act 250 permit issued to the City of Burlington for the Champlain Parkway. SRH Law represents Burlington, and handled the case before the District Commission, Environmental Division, and Vermont Supreme Court.
Read more about the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the Champlain Parkway Project’s Act 250 permit in the Burlington Free Press’s article, “Supreme Court upholds Champlain Parkway plan.”
SRH Law congratulates our client, Burlington Parks, Recreation, and Waterfront, winner of the 2015 Seven Daysies award for its Waterfront Park as the “Best large live music venue.”
The SRH Law blog last posted about Waterfront Park in August of 2014, announcing the Act 250 District #4 Environmental Commission’s approval of an important amendment to the Park’s Act 250 permit. SRH Law attorney Elizabeth Catlin represented the City at the Act 250 hearing, along with Assistant City Attorney Gregg Meyer.
Thanks to last year’s ruling, the improvements to the Park that BPRW made under the new permit, and the dedication of BPRW staff, Waterfront Park continues to be a centrally important public space in the City of Burlington, contributing greatly to both the vitality and livability of the downtown and waterfront areas.
We congratulate the City and the BPRW leadership for their great work and well-deserved Seven Daysie!
