New York, NY. International law firm Nixon Peabody LLP is pleased to announce that the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has recognized the firm’s efforts to incorporate sustainable building practices by awarding Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design® (LEED) Silver Certification to a build-out project in the firm’s New York City office.
This is the firm’s third office space to receive LEED certification, further adding to Nixon Peabody’s “green” leadership role among law firms. The firm’s San Francisco office achieved LEED certification in October 2007, making Nixon Peabody the first law firm in the U.S. to be LEED-certified in the category of “Commercial Interiors.” The firm’s Albany office earned LEED Silver certification in April of this year. Nixon Peabody is currently in the process of seeking LEED certification for its new Chicago office.
The renovation efforts on the 29th floor in New York City were undertaken to create a space that would be a model of sustainable design and green building techniques. The end result is a healthy work environment benefitting everyone who works and visits there. Some of the 29th floor’s features include:
- Occupancy sensors in each room that automatically turn off the lights when the space is not in use
- Daylight sensors in the perimeter offices, which allow the natural illumination of the sun to supplement and reduce the existing lighting
- Water-saving fixtures, such as high-efficiency lavatories and automatic faucets, which combine to reduce water usage by more than 40 percent
- Conference room countertops manufactured locally using recycled plastic bottles
- More than 20 percent of construction materials from local vendors or manufacturers, reducing the amount of fuel used in shipping
- Offsetting 100 percent of the energy used by this floor with Renewable Energy Credits, purchased from a green energy provider
“This is a tremendous accomplishment for our office and our firm,” said Arthur J. Rosner, managing partner of Nixon Peabody’s New York City office. “It could not have happened without the efforts of several of our employees who did an incredible job leading us through the whole build-out itself and through the LEED-certification process.”
“Receiving LEED certification is an important achievement for our Legally Green initiative,” added Carolyn S. Kaplan, Nixon Peabody’s chief sustainability officer and counsel in the firm’s energy and environmental practice. “By incorporating sustainable design and construction into our renovation process, and implementing sustainable practices and operations, Nixon Peabody is a firm that truly ‘walks the walk’ when it comes to being green.”