Rochester Legal Briefs: November 14, 2007

Daily Record (Rochester, NY), Nov 14, 2007 by Tara E Buck

Nixon Peabody Hires Sustainability Officer

Nixon Peabody LLP earlier this week announced the appointment of Carolyn S. Kaplan to the newly-established role of chief sustainability officer.

Kaplan, a Rochester native, is an attorney in the firm's energy and environmental practice and has nearly 20 years of experience with environmental protection and renewable energy projects. She counsels clients on an array of issues that impact development projects and facilities, including environmental impact review, wetlands, tidelands licensing, storm water, water supply, land use and hazardous waste site assessment and remediation.

A release from the firm states that it is "the first in the legal industry to establish" a sustainability officer position, "although many of the firm's clients and global industries have done so as part of corporate commitments to sustainability."

"I believe we can assist our clients to achieve their business goals while attaining the best environmental result," Kaplan said.

Kaplan also "will work closely with Nixon Peabody's operations director to further reduce the firm's carbon footprint and implement internal green initiatives," the release states.

For more information visit www.nixonpeabody.com.

* * *

McGuire To Be Honored

Justice Joseph D. McGuire of the Fifth District Supreme Court will be awarded the sixth annual Justinian Medal by St. John Fisher College at a reception this afternoon.

The medal is given by the school and the Justinian Order, comprised of 420 judges and attorneys who also are Fisher alumni, in honor of "outstanding service and civic leadership in numerous professional, business and charitable endeavors in the community and at the college," according to a release.

Past recipients include U.S. District Court Judge David G. Larimer, Monroe County Supreme Court Justice Francis A. Affronti and the Hon. Edmund A. Calvaruso, Monroe County Surrogate's Court judge.

Justice McGuire received his undergraduate degree from Fisher before earning his JD at Albany Law School of Union University. Following private practice in Rochester, he served as confidential law clerk to the Hon. Fred Young, then presiding judge of the New York Court of Claims.

In 1998, Justice McGuire was elected as Lewis County judge and surrogate and he served by assignment as a family and county court judge in Onondaga, Oneida, Herkimer and Jefferson counties before being elected as a supreme court justice in the Fifth District in 2001.

* * *

Realtors Honor Dinolfo

Monroe County Clerk Cheryl Dinolfo recently received the Greater Rochester Association of Realtors Honor Society Award for 2007.

Since 1996, GRAR annually has given the distinction to individuals, firms or entities that assist with its mission statement "while advancing the real estate industry as a whole," a release from the association states.

Dinolfo said it was an honor to receive the award and that she works closely with GRAR "to enhance the important role they play in our local economy."

She was given the award at GRAR's Awards Dinner and Annual Meeting, held Nov. 2.