News
Worst Fears Visualized
January 11, 2011
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| Much of NYC’s coastlines could be underwater in the next 50 to 100 years (sooner if you believe Michael Bay and Roland Emmerich), says Mary Jane Augustine, construction attorney, sustainability advocate, and NY office managing partner of McCarter & English. She showed Legal Bisnow this picture from the Rising Currents MoMA exhibit that brings together interdisciplinary teams to re-envision the NY and NJ coastlines in ecologically friendly ways. Mary Jane’s no stranger to the MoMA; she negotiated the design contractwith Yoshio Taniguchi for its renovation (and 25 other museums), as well as the contracts for the New Meadowlands Stadium, theGazprom Tower in St Petersburg, Russia, and the renovation ofGrand Central. Mary Jane tells us she’s working on some of the transactional aspects of the San Fran MoMA design and the Memorial/Visitors Centerat the WTC. |
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| Though the firm just had two of its best three financial years in its 166-year history (without layoffs or furloughs), Mary Jane’s not taking a breather. While simultaneously practicing law and managing the NYC office, she’s putting in long hours at night doinggrad work in sustainability through Harvard online courses. She started the program in January ’10, right before she made managing partner, to enhance her knowledge in an increasingly hot area closely related to construction. Mary Jane, one of only 500 LEED AP attorneys in the country (the firm has five), says to draft and negotiate effectively, it's critical to understand green building principles like energy efficiency, water conservation, indoor air quality, and sustainable materials. |
