Key Benefits

Caplan, Hecht & Mendel LLC takes a pro-active, results oriented approach to resolving client's environmental and other legal issues.  In the area of property transfer, the firm brings buyers and sellers of commercial and industrial property together to address the environmental issues in order to reach agreement on property value, classification, finances and level of cleanup.  We work with our clients to find creative solutions to remediation problems by finding sources of financing for environmental assessments, abatements and remediation, developing phased approaches to testing and remediation and working closely with all parties including the licensed environmental professional and government agencies to resolve the environmental issues in a timely and cost-effective manner.  Our services include drafting opinion letters on whether or not a site is an establishment within the meaning the Connecticut Transfer Act; supervising and reviewing Phase I, II and III environmental site assessments; oversight of remediation activities; negotiation of clean-up requirements with lending institutions and administrative agencies; preparing Transfer Act and ECAF filings; preparing and defending applications for reimbursement of costs incurred from underground storage tank contamination; negotiating and drafting environmental land use restrictions and covenants not to sue; drafting environmental protection language for sales and lease agreements; and negotiating environmental insurance policies.  Our clients include commercial/industrial property owners; developers; manufacturers; closely held businesses, national corporations; law firms; asset management companies; engineers; contractors and individuals.

The firm offers environmental legal services in a broad range of areas, including underground storage tank spills and compliance; solid, hazardous and bio-medical waste issues; water pollution; wetlands, groundwater and aquifer protection; lead paint issues; and land use and zoning.  Services include litigation of environmental claims in federal and state courts and before administrative and regulatory agencies; filing applications for reimbursement to the UST Petroleum Clean-Up Fund; preparation of environmental permits of all types;  negotiating and drafting environmental and other legal contracts, negotiating  agreements with the United States Environmental Protection Agency in Superfund sites.  The firm also provides expert consultation regarding the impact of environmental law on business transactions, land use and brownfields redevelopment, environmental cleanups, contracts, related litigation, real estate transfers and construction projects.