Due Diligence, Audits & Transactions

No two deals are the same and managing unique transactional challenges requires the environmental knowledge and practical know-how that only seasoned lawyers can provide—that is what the Nijman Franzetti lawyers bring to a deal team. We work with clients to analyze and minimize environmental risk. We appreciate that each transactional matter is different requiring varied legal support and technical resources to accomplish our clients’ business objectives. We help our clients develop environmental strategies consistent with their risk tolerance so that environmental site conditions no longer kill deals.

The environmental legal support we provide law departments and due diligence teams is flexible depending upon the need, resources available, and the timing and size of any given transaction. We manage environmental due diligence efforts working with technical consultants as appropriate, assess legal environmental risks related to existing environmental due diligence information, and assist the deal team to prepare and negotiate key environmental provisions of contracts to ensure a timely signing or closing.

Our clients trust us to serve as lead environmental counsel in U.S. and international transactions where management of material environmental risks and liabilities are critically important. Our experience includes M&A transactions, private equity deals, debt offerings, joint ventures, complex real estate transactions, financing/refinancing reviews and internal investigations.

Our lawyers offer a myriad of environmental legal support capabilities in a deal prior to, during and post-closing related to:

• Assessment of environmental site conditions and compliance issues
• Environmental due diligence checklists and information requests
• Environmental liability buyouts
• Desktop environmental reviews
• Quantify environmental risks and liabilities
• Identification of the right environmental consultants and experts
• Pollution legal liability coverage
• Post-closing environmental, health & safety compliance integration plans
• Environmental compliance audits and voluntary disclosures

Recent matters handled by our lawyers include:

• Served as lead environmental counsel in $1.6B merger acquisition of international chemical company by U.S. based chemical company also with international operations
• Led environmental due diligence for mergers, asset deals and intracompany transfers of U.S. and international manufacturing businesses for a global industrial organization with 100 existing manufacturing and service businesses
• Assist major affordable housing tax credit syndicator on environmental due diligence for over sixty projects annually
• Supported environmental transactions pre-, during and post-closing for a Fortune 250 U.S. manufacturing conglomerate expanding its U.S. and international operations base
• Assisted one of the largest grocery store chains in the U.S. to acquire redevelopment properties, quantify environmental risks consistent with the company’s risk profile and manage environmental site conditions related to construction of new stores
• Represented large U.S. manufacturing entity in an environmental liability transfer matter to transition impacted properties with cleanup obligations and related liabilities to a distressed and impaired properties redevelopment firm
• Worked with the largest package delivery company in the world to expand its freight transportation, logistics and supply chain management operations into Chicago with construction of a new transportation center at a brownfields site
• Counseled client on $7B acquisition of international manufacturing company
• Manage environmental due diligence on $375M acquisition of automotive exhaust and catalytic converter manufacturer