David B. Farer, chair of the firm’s Environmental Department, will lead a roundtable discussion on “Environmental Hazards in the Workplace” at REITWise2013, the yearly Law, Accounting and Finance Conference sponsored by the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT). This year’s conference takes place March 20-22 in La Quinta, CA.

Mr. Farer’s practice encompasses the representation of numerous REITs, and he is a regular attendee and frequent speaker at the REITWise conferences. As discussion leader for the environmental hazards roundtable, Mr. Farer and panel members Robert Masters (General Counsel, Acadia Realty Trust), James J. Bowes (General Counsel, Liberty Property Trust) and Scott Lynn (General Counsel, Ryman Hospitality Partners) plan to address workplace-related issues within a legal, regulatory and guidance framework. This will include a discussion of typical environmental hazards such as chemical exposure, asbestos, lead paint and biological threats including waste, mold and bacteria. The panel will also explore the risks associated with newer environmental concerns such as vapor intrusion, bed bug infestations, Legionnaires’ Disease, PCBs in caulking, and pandemic flu.

Mr. Farer concentrates his practice on the impact of environmental laws on transactions and real property in New Jersey and around the nation, advising clients on issues including environmental contractual protection techniques, due diligence, transaction-triggered environmental laws, funding options for brownfields redevelopment, state and federal cleanup liabilities, deed notices and use restrictions, and environmental disclosures.