HARRISBURG (March 10, 2022) — David G. Mandelbaum, shareholder at Greenberg Traurig in Philadelphia, will be honored with the 2022 Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA) Environmental and Energy Law Section Lifetime Achievement Award during the Environmental Law Forum, April 13, at Harrisburg Hilton & Towers.
The award honors contributions made to the section and general efforts that enhance the development, improvement and furtherance of the practice of environmental law that benefit the community or represent outstanding personal achievement.
At Greenberg Traurig, Mandelbaum’s practice focuses on environmental litigation; federal regulatory and administrative law; renewable energy; trial practice; and environmental, social and governance issues.
During his 39-year career, Mandelbaum has tried or served as lead counsel for numerous large cases, including United States v. Atlas Minerals, the first multi-generator Superfund contribution case to go to trial in 1993. His other cases have addressed a variety of environmental protection issues, including groundwater and soil contamination; air pollution permits; and oil, gas, and mineral rights disputes.
Rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell, Mandelbaum’s accolades include being named Lawyer of the Year for environmental law and litigation in The Best Lawyers in America, Energy and Environmental Trailblazer in National Law Journal, and expert in energy and environmental law in Euromoney’s Expert Guide to the World’s Leading Experts in Environmental Law.
An adjunct law professor, Mandelbaum teaches oil and gas law, environmental law and Superfund litigation at Temple University Beasley School of Law in Philadelphia; and environmental litigation at Suffolk University Law School in Boston.
Named a Fellow of the American College of Environmental Lawyers in 2020, Mandelbaum’s professional affiliations include serving as vice chair, Pennsylvania Statewide Water Resources Committee; member, Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission; chair, Special Committee on Smart Growth and Urban Policy, American Bar Association; member, Environmental Law Section, Boston Bar Association; and member, Environmental and Land Use Section, Florida Bar Association. Within PBA, Mandelbaum has served as chair, Environmental and Energy Law Section; and mentor for attorneys volunteering for the section’s pro bono program.
An accomplished author and speaker, Mandelbaum extensively addresses a range of topics related to environmental litigation, cost allocation methodologies and efficient case management approaches. In addition to being a regular contributor to his firm’s E2 Law Blog, he is a course planner and speaker for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute’s Pennsylvania Environmental Law Forum.
“I always found [David’s] writing and speaking about the big issues in environmental law (the Robinson cases; the Environmental Rights Amendment) to be clear, balanced and accurate without being sensational,” said one of Mandelbaum’s award nominators. “I think his ability to distill the law behind big environmental issues is helpful to the understanding of these legal issues by lawyers and their clients and the general public.”
Mandelbaum graduated summa cum laude with his A.B. from Harvard College and magna cum laude with his J.D. from Harvard Law School. Early in his career, he was a law clerk to Judge Louis H. Pollack of the United State District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Offering up to 12 substantive and two ethics CLE credits, the Environmental Law Forum will feature updates on energy, conventional land developments, environmental litigation, changing laws, developing legislation, new technologies and more. For additional information, visit https://www.pbi.org/Meetings/Meeting.aspx?ID=39684.
Founded in 1895, the Pennsylvania Bar Association strives to promote justice, professional excellence and respect for the law; improve public understanding of the legal system; facilitate access of legal services; and serve the lawyer members of the state's largest organized bar association.