Akin Gump Among First Law Firms Nationwide to Earn LEED® Certification
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(Washington, D.C.) – The New York and Philadelphia offices of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP have been awarded Gold LEED®-CI and LEED®-CI certification, respectively, from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the firm announced today.
Akin Gump is the first law firm in New York – and only the second in the United States – to earn Gold LEED certification. Nationally, only eight U.S. law firm offices have achieved LEED certification to date.
LEED is the USGBC’s leading rating system and the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of the world’s greenest, most energy-efficient and highest performing buildings. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.
“Building operations are nearly 40% of the solution to the global climate change challenge,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair, U.S. Green Building Council. “While climate change is a global problem, innovative companies like Akin Gump are addressing it through local solutions.”
USGBC recognized Akin Gump’s office at One Bryant Park in New York for a number of green design and construction features, including floor-to-ceiling building glass to maximize natural light, an automatic daytime light-dimming system, an on-site five megawatt combined heat and power electrical plant and a “grey-water” system that collects and reuses rainfall. USGBC recognized the firm’s Two Commerce Square office in Philadelphia for its use of recycled building materials; furniture constructed from wood harvested from FSC-certified forests; and low-emitting paints, carpets and adhesives to provide better air quality. Architectural firm Butler Rogers Baskett designed Akin Gump’s New York office; Partridge Architects, Inc. designed the firm’s Philadelphia office.
Founded in 1945, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, a leading international law firm, numbers more than 800 lawyers in the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
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