Month: January 2019

Super Lawyers Recognizes Cindy Bishop as one of the Top 50 Women Lawyers in Texas

Cindy Bishop, founder and president of C Bishop Law, has been named to the Top 50 Women Lawyers in Texas by Super Lawyers for 2018.

To earn a spot on the top 50, attorneys must first be named to the Super Lawyers list in their state; inclusion is based on a four-step process that includes nominations, a peer review process, independent research and a final selection. The female attorneys with the most votes are added to the top 50. Cindy has been included on the Texas Super Lawyers list every year since 2014.

In her practice, Cindy assists clients across the country in resolving their environmental issues. A licensed professional engineer, Cindy worked as an environmental consulting engineer before transitioning to a legal career. In her capacity as an engineer, she completed air permits, removed underground storage tanks and conducted asbestos inspections.

Now well into her 25-year legal career, Cindy applies her knowledge as an engineer to finding innovative, risk-based environmental solutions for her clients – from Fortune 500 companies to small businesses, commercial developers to airlines. She helped one client save more than $4 million in estimated cleanup costs and has reduced or eliminated state and federal penalties for other clients through the Texas Audit Privilege Act and EPA’s self-disclosure policy.

Other recognitions throughout her legal career include D Magazine’s Best Lawyers in Dallas, Best Lawyers in America, a Chambers USA ranking for environmental law, and a selection to Best Law Firms published by U.S. News and Best Lawyers.

2019 Environmental Resolutions

Happy New Year!

What will be your company’s resolutions for 2019?

Here are some resolutions for 2019 that can help you avoid environmental surprises:

  • Resolve to commission a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment when buying or leasing real property – Yes, even for leases.  Yes, even for raw land.  For a few thousand dollars, you can get peace of mind and ensure that there are no hidden environmental surprises, such as indoor air issues from an old dry cleaner that got regulatory closure before indoor air was an issue.  In addition to supporting a defense if contamination is later discovered, it makes good business sense.  Also be aware of my Top 10 Due Diligence Mistakes.
  • Resolve to do more than a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment when buying a company –  Make sure the acquired company has the necessary environmental permits and that the company is in compliance with those permits.
  • Resolve to be aware of trending environmental issues – You don’t have to be an expert.  Just be aware of trending environmental issues, such as PFAS and greenhouse gas reporting.  Read only the headlines if you are busy and just want to know the lingo.  Then, ask your favorite environmental attorney for more information.
  • Resolve to use consultants for data gathering and interpretation and use lawyers for legal questions – Especially for the second resolution above, a consultant can gather data but should not make legal conclusions about whether a facility is in compliance or needs a permit.  That opinion should come from an environmental attorney.  Consultants and lawyers should work as a team.
  • Resolve to look at internal practices – Like stepping on the scale, it is hard to realize that your company should improve its practices.  But it is better to catch issues yourself than have a regulatory agency catch it in an inspection.  Take advantage of programs such as the Texas Audit Privilege Act or EPA’s e-disclosure program to self-disclose and correct problems with potential immunity.

Need assistance? Contact me at cbishop@cbishoplaw.com

Wishing you a prosperous New Year