Holland & Hart News

Historic Preservation and Energy Transmission Law Conference

Jack Palma and John Clark are Co-Chairs of the first conference to focus on "Historic Preservation and Energy Transmission Projects", put on by CLE International.   The conference will features many speakers from BLM, FERC, Council of Energy Resource Tribes, Colorado Historical Society, and experts on historic preservation and energy law.  Click here for the brochure. 

Tarpey Appointed to Colorado PUC

Jim Tarpey, an alumnus of Holland & Hart, has been appointed by Governor Ritter to the Public Utilities Commission in Colorado.  Tarpey has been practicing energy law at Holland & Hart until the appointment.  Read the story in the Denver Post here, as well as an interview with Tarpey here. 

Federal Government Proposes New Green Building Requirements

The Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) has issued a proposed policy letter increasing green building requirements in federal contracts. The proposed letter provides guidance on green purchasing policies and strategies and requires agencies to give preference to the acquisition of green products and services. The policy letter seeks to encourage all new federal buildings to be life-cycle cost effective and to incorporate sustainable design practices.

The letter seeks to require agencies to implement the five Guiding Principles for High Performance and Sustainable Buildings (www.wbdg.org): (1) employing integrated design; (2) optimizing energy performance; (3) protecting and conserving water; (4) enhancing indoor environmental quality; and (5) reducing the environmental impact of materials. Further, the proposed letter requires all new buildings to be 30 percent more energy efficient than the ASHREA Standard for non-residential buildings. The procurement policies established by the letter are to be fully reflected in the Federal Acquisition Regulations.

The letter requires each federal agency to develop and implement a green purchasing plan that, among other things, requires flow down of green product preference to contractors and subcontractors and addresses past performance evaluation of contractor's adherence to green components/sustainable aspects of contracts.

The public comment period on the policy letter expires on February 26, 2008. For the full text of the proposed policy letter, click here.

The Holland & Hart office in Washington, DC is available to assist you in preparing and submitting any comments to the proposed policy letter.  If you have any questions or desire additional information, please contact Charles Lucy or any other member of our Construction Group or Sustainable Business Group.

FBI Investigates Subprime Mortgage Crisis

(Janurary 30, 2008) Yesterday the Federal Bureau of Investigation announced a major nationwide investigation into business practices related to the subprime mortgage crisis.  The FBI announced that its investigation would also involve the Securities and Exchange Commission, which already has an ongoing investigation.  While the FBI announced that it was targeting 14 companies in its investigation, the effect of the investigation could be much broader and will include both civil and criminal cases. 

"It is likely that many businesses could receive subpoenas and other requests for information, all of which should be carefully handled" said Michael Carrigan, a partner in Holland & Hart's Securities and White Collar Practice Group.  "In investigations like these, the fingers start pointing in all directions and companies have to be careful," added Carrigan, whose practice includes representing mortgage lenders who have been the victims of fraud.  Trip Mackintosh, who represented a key executive from Enron Broadband agreed, "This growing scandal has many similarities to S&L debacle of the 1980s and the accounting scandals a few years ago.  It will have consequences for years to come."

The investigation is likely to go well beyond just lenders and investors and could involve homebuilders, appraisers and real estate agents as well. 

Holland & Hart has one of the largest and most diverse business investigations practices in the Western United States, with a large number of former state and federal prosecutors who advise businesses on all aspects of compliance and law enforcement investigations.

Clients Name Holland & Hart "Go-To Law Firm"

Holland & Hart LLP clients named the firm a "Go-To Law Firm for the Nation's Top 500 Companies," and Holland & Hart is recognized for this honor in the reference guide In-house Law Departments at the Top 500 Companies.

Carrigan wins Davis Award

Holland & Hart partner Michael Carrigan received the 2007 Richard Marden Davis award at a dinner in his honor last night. This award is presented annually by Davis Graham & Stubbs, the Denver Bar Foundation, and the Davis family to a Denver lawyer under the age of 40 who has combined excellence as a lawyer with civic, cultural, educational, and charitable leadership.

Dick Davis’s family and law firm, Davis Graham & Stubbs, established this award in his memory in 1992 to honor Dick’s belief that great lawyers should be professional and community leaders as well. For nearly 50 years, Dick Davis devoted himself tirelessly to the profession and the community.  Read the press release.

John Husband Named Chair of Management Committee

The partners of Holland & Hart llp have elected John Husband as the Chairman of the Management Committee.  Husband succeeds Paul Phillips, who served as Chair since 2004.

An attorney in Holland & Hart's Denver office since 1978, Husband is a nationally-recognized and honored labor and employment attorney and Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. Husband has been named among the Best Lawyers in America and Colorado Super Lawyers. He was also named in Denver Business Journal's Best of the Bar.    As you scroll through his lengthy bio, don't miss the note at the very end.  Not only is he an accomplished attorney - he also played for Ohio State University in the Rose Bowl (1974- under the great Woody Hayes)!

Read the press release here.