Gibbons Law Alert

Gibbons Law Alert Blog

On November 4, 2019

Gibbons Director David J. Freeman will serve as Program Co-Chair of an upcoming New York State Bar/New York City Bar conference on Federal and New York State brownfield and Superfund programs. The conference will take place from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on December 12, 2019 at the New York City Bar Association, 42 West 44th Street, New York, NY 10036. The program’s distinguished faculty includes New York State Attorney General Letitia James, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 2 Administrator Pete Lopez, and other officials from the EPA, the New York State of Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), the New York State Office of Attorney General, and the New York City Office of Environmental Remediation. The topics to be discussed will include: trends in federal Superfund enforcement, including natural resource damages claims and the impact of the Superfund Task Force recommendations; NYSDEC policies and practices in implementing the 2015 Amendments to the Brownfield Cleanup Act; the intersection between Superfund and brownfields, focusing on developments at the Gowanus Canal Superfund Site; and an analysis of case law developments in these areas. Click here for a brochure describing the program and here for a further description and registration information.

Expect the Unexpected: New Jersey Appellate Division Rules That Language of Pre-SRRA Contract Requires Remediation Under New Rules

by Gibbons P.C.

Posted in Environmental and Green Issues

On October 24, 2019

It is universally recognized that the 2009 Site Remediation Reform Act (SRRA) completely overhauled the process of site remediation in New Jersey. Less obvious, perhaps, was how the new statute could affect contractual cleanup obligations in agreements that predate SRRA’s enactment. In 89 Water Street Associates LLC v. Reilly, the Appellate Division held that the language of a purchase-and-sale agreement from 2004 required the seller to meet all of the requirements of the later-enacted statute, even if the cleanup takes much longer, and costs much more, than originally envisioned. The saga begins in 2004, when the plaintiff entered into a contract to purchase an industrial property in Bridgeton from the defendant’s predecessors in interest. The owner had already been through one remediation process, having obtained a “no further action” letter (NFA) from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) under the Industrial Site Recovery Act (ISRA) (then known as the Environmental Cleanup Responsibility Act). The owner leased the site to a company (NRI) that he controlled in 1984. Fast forward twenty years, when the parties entered into a contract to transfer the property for $475,000. The agreement set a closing date, which could be extended by six months, but did not permit termination of the contract if the closing did not occur on time....

NJ District Court Leaves Plaintiff Without Course of Relief Under CERCLA

by Gibbons P.C.

Posted in Environmental and Green Issues

On September 24, 2019

In Stahl v. Bauer Auto, Inc., the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey handed down a decision that may be troubling for parties seeking to recover environmental cleanup costs under the Comprehensive Environmental Responsive Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA). By way of background, CERCLA generally provides a private cause of action to plaintiffs in two circumstances. The first falls under section 107(a), which allows a plaintiff to seek recovery of response costs that it has incurred from other potentially responsible parties. The second falls under section 113(f), which allows a plaintiff that is or was the defendant of a cost recovery claim, or that has resolved its liability with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under a judicially approved settlement, to seek contribution from other potentially responsible parties. Generally, a party that has incurred or will incur costs under CERCLA falls under one or both of these two categories. However, the N.J. District Court in Stahl held that there is at least one scenario where a plaintiff does not fall into either of these two categories and therefore has no claim under CERCLA. The factual history in the Stahl matter is long and complex. In short, the underlying environmental cleanup was at a property in Chatham, New Jersey. The plaintiffs owned a company...

Gibbons to Exhibit at Upcoming ICSC PA/NJ/DE Conference & Deal Making

by Douglas J. Janacek

Posted in Development/Redevelopment / Liquor Licensing / Real Estate / Transactional Real Estate and Leasing

On September 6, 2019

The Gibbons Real Property Department will once again exhibit at the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) PA/NJ/DE Conference & Deal Making at the Pennsylvania Convention Center on September 12. Stop by our booth, #319, and meet with some of the Department’s attorneys who will be attending. Deal Making hours are Thursday, September 12, from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm. The Conference provides an opportunity for real estate professionals (shopping center owners, developers, managers, marketing specialists, investors, lenders, retailers, etc.) to network and focus on getting deals done. We look forward to seeing you there!

New Jersey Enacts Changes to Landmark 2009 Site Remediation Reform Act

by Gibbons P.C.

Posted in Environmental and Green Issues

On September 3, 2019

In 2009, in the face of a significant backlog of sites that were stuck in the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) pipeline, the New Jersey Legislature dramatically changed the process of site remediation in the Garden State with the enactment of the Site Remediation Reform Act (SRRA). The SRRA partially outsourced DEP’s review role by authorizing “private” oversight of cleanups by Licensed Site Remediation Professionals (LSRPs). On August 23, 2019, Governor Murphy signed new legislation that made further adjustments to the changes wrought by the SRRA. The legislation (L. 2019, c. 263), which sailed through both legislative chambers without a single opposing vote, makes a number of changes to the LSRP program, as well as other changes affecting parties responsible for conducting remediation projects. Amendments Affecting LSRPs Removal of unoccupied structures from list of areas that must be addressed as an “immediate environmental concern.” Expansion of LSRP duties to report immediate environmental concerns and previously unreported discharges. A slight relaxation of licensing requirements for individuals who may have temporarily left the work force for personal reasons. Clarification of prior acts and punishments that will disqualify a person from obtaining an LSRP license. Tightening of LSRPs’ oversight responsibilities to ensure that non-LSRPs do not effectively perform work reserved for LSRPs. Requiring an affidavit of merit from...

U.S. Supreme Court Provides Guidance on the Disclosure of Confidential Information Under FOIA

by Gibbons P.C.

Posted in Environmental and Green Issues

On August 21, 2019

Businesses often share sensitive information with the government either voluntarily or by mandate. This information becomes subject to requests under the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), which is a source of concern to any business worried about disclosure of competitive business information. The United States Supreme Court recently handed down a decision that directly addresses this concern. In Food Marketing Institute v. Argus Leader Media, the Court provides guidance on the protection from the disclosure of shared information deemed “confidential” under FOIA’s Exemption 4. In addition to businesses, this decision will have significant impact on public interest groups and media that may seek information through FOIA. Justice Gorsuch authored the opinion for the majority, which Chief Justice Roberts and Justices Thomas, Alito, Kagan, and Kavanaugh joined. Justice Breyer added an opinion concurring in part, and dissenting in part that Justices Ginsburg and Sotomayor joined. Argus Leader Media, a newspaper in South Dakota, filed a request under FOIA seeking information the United Stated Department of Agriculture collected as part of the national food stamp program known as the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP). Specifically, Argus Leader sought the names and addresses of retailers that participate in SNAP and each store’s annual redemption data. The USDA released the names and addresses of participating retailers, but invoked FOIA’s...

Gibbons Hosts “Keys to Negotiating Better Software & Software-as-a-Service Agreements” Seminar – October 16-18, 2019

by Gibbons P.C.

Posted in E-Discovery / General Litigation / Intellectual Property / Privacy and Data Security

On August 16, 2019

From October 16-18, Peter J. Frazza, a Director in the Gibbons Commercial & Criminal Litigation Department, will lead a seminar in Las Vegas analyzing the negotiation of software licenses and software-as-a-service agreements, including data protection and privacy issues companies face that are specific to software transactions, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things (IoT). Mr. Frazza has over 30 years of experience handling complex lawsuits and contract negotiations on behalf of licensees and users in software licensing and software-as-a-service matters. For additional seminar details or to register, visit https://conta.cc/31AYf0h.

New Jersey Expands Redevelopment Law to Include Stranded Shopping Centers and Office Parks

by Howard D. Geneslaw

Posted in Development/Redevelopment

On August 13, 2019

Last week, New Jersey’s redevelopment law was amended to recognize that shopping centers and office parks which have experienced significant vacancies for a period of at least two consecutive years may be deemed an “area in need of redevelopment.” The amendment, designated A-1700 and enacted as P.L.2019, c.229, expands criteria b. of the Local Redevelopment and Housing Law, N.J.S.A. 40A:12A-5, and takes effect immediately. Prior to the amendment, criteria b. authorized an “area in need of redevelopment” designation where the delineated area was characterized by the “discontinuance of the use of buildings previously used for commercial, manufacturing, or industrial purposes; the abandonment of such buildings; or the same being allowed to fall into so great a state of disrepair as to be untenantable.” The amendment contains three significant components: Buildings previously used for retail purposes, shopping malls or plazas, and office parks were added, so that discontinuance of use or abandonment of those stranded assets is now expressly within the statute; Experiencing significant vacancies “for at least two consecutive years” was added as a new threshold criteria, which applies not only to buildings used for retail purposes, shopping malls or plazas, and office parks, but also to buildings used for commercial, manufacturing or industrial purposes which were already encompassed by criteria b. of the redevelopment...

Gibbons Handles All Development Aspects of Major Turnpike Corridor Industrial Project

by Gibbons P.C.

Posted in Development/Redevelopment

On August 7, 2019

Real Estate New Jersey recently reported on Prologis, the publicly-traded global leader in logistics real estate, regarding its development of nearly 1 million square feet of industrial space in Burlington Township, New Jersey. Gibbons represented DCT Industrial Trust, which was subsequently acquired by Prologis, in all development aspects of the project, including entitlements and redevelopment agreements, such as tax abatements, as well as litigation challenging the development approvals granted to DCT – which was successfully concluded with the court dismissing the challenge. The regional significance of this project is notable, thanks to its location proximate to a recently widened stretch of the New Jersey Turnpike where it meets the Pennsylvania Turnpike, which has made the area all the more attractive to industrial users. Douglas J. Janacek, Chair of the Gibbons Real Property Department, and Department Directors Russell B. Bershad and Jennifer Phillips Smith were primarily responsible for the legal services provided in connection with this project. Real Estate New Jersey’s story on the project can be found here.

Another Motion to Dismiss Federal Defend Trade Secret Act Claim is Denied

by Gibbons P.C.

Posted in Trade Secrets

On July 19, 2019

Following a national trend, another Defend Trade Secrets Act (DTSA) claim has survived a motion to dismiss filed in a California district court. The DTSA enables trade secret owners to pursue trade secret misappropriation claims in federal court if the trade secret is related to a product or service used in, or intended for use in, interstate or foreign commerce. In the recent Volans-i, Inc. v. SpektreWorks, Inc. case, the parties both developed and built long-range high-payload aircrafts known as drones. Pursuant to a consulting agreement, the defendant allegedly assisted Volans-i with design, engineering, testing and other work related to Volans-i’s C-10 and C-20 drones and had access to Volans-i’s trade secrets related to the same. The consulting agreement allegedly prohibited SpektreWorks from using Volans-i’s confidential information or its consultant work product other than to provide consulting services to Volans-i. Volans-i alleged that in violation of the DTSA and in breach of the parties’ agreement, the defendant sold a knockoff of its C-10 containing an avionics board which copied the design of Volans-i’s avionics board and utilized many identical components—thereby “copying plaintiff’s design and component choice[.]” 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 90923, at *5. In its motion to dismiss, SpektreWorks argued that Volans-i failed to sufficiently define its trade secrets or properly allege misappropriation. The court...