Manko, Gold & Katcher, LLP services

At MGKF, we recognize that the air quality regulatory arena is a complex and ever-changing field that implicates legal, technical, and operational considerations. Our air quality practice not only appreciates the importance of each of these disciplines, but fully addresses them. We have assembled a team of professionals who dedicate a substantial portion of their practices to air quality permitting, counseling, compliance, and enforcement issues.

MGKF provides neutral services throughout the country for both arbitration and mediation matters that draw upon the firm`s breadth and depth of legal and technical experience in its core environmental, land use, energy and environmental litigation practice areas. Our legal and technical experience in these areas has also made our firm, and in particular our name partner Joseph M. Manko, a logical choice when parties are searching for an experienced and knowledgeable neutral to help resolve their environmental, land use or energy disputes, whether through mediation or arbitration. Joe and his partner, John Gullace, along with the firm`s senior technical consultant Darryl Borrelli, have worked together on a number of large and complex alternative dispute resolution (`ADR`) matters in which Joe had been retained to act as the neutral.

From Fortune 100 companies engaged in international acquisitions and divestitures valued in excess of $1 billion, to regional transactions involving privately held entities, MGKF attorneys and in-house technical consultants frequently facilitate environmental due diligence and resolve difficult environmental issues arising in corporate and commercial transactions. The breadth of our skill and experience in this area provides clients with the necessary confidence regarding potential environmental liabilities to move forward in the most complex of transactions involving the sale or acquisition of properties and businesses.

MGKF has extensive experience in the broad array of federal, state, and local regulatory programs applicable to industrial, commercial, and municipal operations. Our attorneys and technical consultants provide services ranging from assisting clients with a single issue or agency inspection to developing comprehensive compliance programs or auditing across multi-facility organizations. In addition to compliance planning and implementation, we also advise clients responding to environmental emergencies. Whether a client has its own established response structure or is struggling to address a completely unanticipated emergency, we can provide strategic legal support and guidance. We also defend clients in civil and administrative enforcement actions by regulatory agencies.

Environmental emergencies, such as oil or chemical spills, accidental leaks, fires, and train derailments, can have significant impacts on the environment, the local community, and our clients` business. Most emergencies occur as a result of operational malfunctions or natural disasters such as hurricanes and other weather-related events; some are preventable and some are not. In all circumstances, whatever the cause of the environmental emergency, prompt and appropriate action is required not only to mitigate the potential environmental impacts, but also to enable the entities involved to avoid potentially significant penalties for the violations of environmental laws that may have occurred as a result of the emergency. The best way to limit the environmental impacts and associated liabilities from environmental emergencies is to have in place comprehensive environmental response plans that are updated and tested through periodic practice drills.

MGKF assists clients in understanding and meeting their regulatory compliance obligations under the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act and regulations issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (`OSHA`) and OSHA-approved state programs.  We help clients prepare for and respond to OSHA inspections, respond to and defend OSHA citations and complaints, and represent clients at  informal conferences. We also provide regulatory counseling and practical guidance on satisfying OSHA requirements in the context of varied industries and operations, including assisting in the development of OSHA-compliant written programs and procedures. In addition, we help clients to prepare for OSHA inspections, present compelling arguments at conferences with OSHA, and respond to OSHA citations. We are experienced in defending clients against agency enforcement actions and in negotiating agency settlements.