Albany, NY Harris Beach welcomed a former regional director of the nine-county Capital Region for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) as senior counsel in its commercial real estate practice group.
Senior counsel Anthony Luisi, who previously served as regional director of 12 DEC regional divisions and offices, will use his deep knowledge of environmental statutes and regulations to benefit commercial developers, institutional lenders, corporations, partnerships, not-for-profits and other entities in the development, finance, sale, purchase and leasing of commercial real estate.
After a combination agreement with New England-based Murtha Cullina LLP, Harris Beach continues to grow with the addition of Luisi. His combined knowledge and experience in commercial real estate litigation and environmental law will greatly benefit Harris Beach clients.
“It is great to have someone with Anthony’s Department of Environmental Conservation background and knowledge of environmental laws and regulations join the Harris Beach team,” said Frank Pavia, who leads the firm’s Environmental Practice Group. “We now have two former regional directors of DEC at the firm and several others with environmental knowledge and experience. We’re well positioned in this area and Anthony is uniquely qualified to handle commercial real estate matters where complex environmental regulatory and permitting issues come into play.”
During his time as a regional attorney and then regional director at the DEC, he advised DEC program staff on the environmental statutes, regulations, and case law governing clean water, clean air, endangered species, freshwater wetlands, protected streams, dam safety, solid and hazardous waste, mined land reclamation, land acquisition and management, fish and wildlife, pesticides, environmental remediation, the State Environmental Quality Review Act, the Uniform Procedures Act, the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, and other state and federal environmental laws and regulations.
Luisi has litigated in state and federal courts in the New York City metropolitan area and Hudson Valley, including handling disputes related to real estate development project permitting, environmental impact assessment, commercial real estate leasing and financing, partnership and corporate governance, commercial contracts, and business torts.
He’s counseled developers, investors, and service providers in the energy, construction, and real estate development industries in negotiating and executing stock and asset acquisitions, mergers, commercial contracts, equity and debt transactions, and corporate formation and governance agreements. He also provides legal guidance on municipal project permitting, land use and zoning, and regulatory compliance, and performs comprehensive project due diligence and legal risk assessment for project planning, strategy development and implementation.
Luisi’s arrival comes only weeks after Harris Beach and Murtha Cullina signed a combination agreement to form a regional powerhouse in the legal industry. The new firm will be known as Harris Beach Murtha once the operating agreement becomes official. Harris Beach and Murtha Cullina are each leading law firms in their respective geographies and offer complementary services. Together, Harris Beach Murtha will offer greater strength and reach throughout an expanded geographical footprint on the Northeast corridor and throughout upstate and Western New York, accelerating the growth strategy of both firms. The combination will create more robust capabilities to meet and exceed clients’ needs and support them as they navigate increasingly complex legal and regulatory environments.
Luisi joins Harris Beach’s commercial real estate practice group, which assists clients with shopping centers, hospitals, colleges, schools, office parks and industrial projects. Clients rely on our knowledge and experience in both the private and public sectors to access and utilize various forms of financing and economic development grants and incentives. Our firm’s professional consultants also offer solutions to challenging community relations issues to help keep large commercial real estate projects moving forward to their successful completion.
Luisi will also serve in the business and commercial litigation, environmental, and government compliance and investigations practice groups, as well as our real estate developers industry team.
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