Maribel N. Nicholson-Choice

Experience: Environmental Law: Negotiated a Consent Decree and settlement of federal and state environmental liability, fines, and penalties under the Clean Water Act on behalf a financial institution seeking to foreclose on collateral property. Following foreclosure, she also helped the client resolve numerous environmental permit violations and avoid significant fines and penalties.; Negotiated with the state regulatory agency to assess the nature and extent of petroleum contamination and remediation under Florida's petroleum cleanup program on behalf of a financial institution seeking to foreclose on collateral property contaminated from underground gas storage tanks. Following the property foreclosure, obtained state cleanup funding for a portion of the contamination and a No Further Action Letter enabling the client to resell the property.; Performed environmental due diligence for client seeking to foreclose on collateral property containing NPDES stormwater violations and significant adverse impacts to wetlands associated with debtor's development of a golf course. Also negotiated with the state regulatory agency to mitigate wetland impacts and resolve stormwater violations under the Clean Water Act, while helping the client to avoid enforcement action and any related fines and penalties.; Provided environmental due diligence consultation to a lender financing a multimillion-dollar acquisition of gas stations located throughout the Southeast United States.; Provided environmental and land use due diligence consultation, including environmental permit transfers, terminations, and new permit applications, for 14 plastic manufacturing facilities located throughout the United States.; Provided international cruise ship line with environmental permitting and policy services for marina expansion project located in South America.; Environment Litigation: Defended speaker plant siting decisions against environmental justice claims.; Led in negotiating and resolving a number of cases under the Florida Department of Environmental Protection cleanup programs such as the Brownfields, dry cleaner, and petroleum cleanup programs.; Energy Industry: Oversaw environmental remediation and redevelopment of a former city coal-gasification plant to a city park.; Represented ConocoPhillips in class action lawsuits arising from Superfund Site.; Land Development: Negotiated state lands leases, state submerged lands disclaimers, and private claims in submerged lands in conjunction with the development of docking facilities serving luxury condominiums projects.; Represented $620M private equity fund in purchase of contaminated properties for cleanup and redevelopment into substantial mixed-use commercial development and livable downtown centers, i.e., student housing, hotel/restaurant, and other integrated mixed-uses including neighborhood, and historic buildings.; Government and Administrative Law: Served as special legal counsel to Blueprint 2000 Intergovernmental Agency consisting of the Tallahassee City Commission and the Leon County Commission.; Represented emergent clean technology companies before the Florida Legislature and the Executive Office of the Governor.; Led passage of statutory language contained in a comprehensive growth management legislation to renew and extend for two years certain permits issued by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and water management districts, as well as build-out dates for certain developments of regional impact.; Led in drafting and establishment of the Broward County Brownfields Program.; Primary participant in adoption of Florida's Unified Building Code.; Primary participant in adoption and subsequent amendments to the Florida Brownfields Redevelopment Act.; Government Experience: Special Counsel, Blueprint 2000 Intergovernmental Agency, 2003-Present; Former Chair, Tallahassee-Leon County Planning Commission, 2003-2012; Member, Governor Crist's Energy Supply and Demand Technical Work Group, 2008-2009; Former Member, Florida Environmental Equity and Justice Study Commission, 1994-1995; Assistant City Attorney, City Tallahassee, 1991-1994; Former Vice-Chair, Florida Environmental Regulation Commission, 1995-2001; Previous Experience: In 1999, served on the EPA's National Justice Advisory Council, Air and Water Subcommittee's Urban Air Toxics Working Group.; In 1998, lobbied the Florida Legislature for state funding to establish the Center for Environmental Equity and Justice at FAMU's Environmental Science Institute.; In 1994, lobbied the Florida Legislature for state funding to establish the Environmental Science Institute at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University to help increase the number of minorities entering into the environmental law profession.