Michelman & Robinson, LLP is a proud member of “Lawyers for a Sustainable Economy,” a law firm-led initiative that provides pro bono legal services to sustainability-focused entrepreneurs and non-profit organizations. LSE was organized and is supported by Stanford University’s Precourt Institute for Energy and Stanford Law School.
Over the past year, M&R has handled, on a pro bono basis, nine separate matters for entrepreneurs and environmental non-profits working on sustainability projects—a testament to the firm’s commitment to LSE. The services we have furnished range from entity formation to the preparation of licensing, confidentiality and non-disclosure, founder and advisor compensation, stock option, profit sharing, fund-raising, joint venture, soft-IP, and other forms of agreements.
The sustainability-focused work being done by M&R’s pro bono clients is exciting, ground-breaking, and critical to climate-related concerns on a global scale. By way of example, we have assisted all of the following:
- an agricultural technology company working on a cattle feedstock supplement made from a red seaweed that reduces methane emissions by 90%
- a clean-tech entity pioneering climate-positive bamboo engineered lumber, which is stronger, more fire-resistant, extremely regenerative, and otherwise more sustainable than other types of wood
- a clean-tech startup aimed at accelerating the decarbonization of heavy-duty transport through the development of advanced hydrogen storage systems for use aboard trucks, ships, and planes
- a start-up incorporated to commercialize technology that was developed at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory which can replace toxic and non-biodegradable and non-recyclable petroleum-based polyurethanes with sustainable bio-based polyurethanes
- a start-up seeking to make desalination a more sustainable way to provide fresh water to communities and to use the brine waste toward power generation, renewable energy storage and supply chains, and more environmentally friendly concrete aggregates and road de-icing agents
- a clean-tech startup that has developed and seeks to commercialize a carbon sequestration method that does not rely on carbon credits and can create consumer products, such as ethanol, that are carbon negative and more sustainable than their traditionally formulated counterparts
- a start-up committed to developing and producing more energy efficient computer processing methods, including a reversible adiabatic system which dramatically reduces power consumption and greenhouse gas emission, resulting in a more energy efficient and sustainable computing process
- a start-up seeking to decarbonize the indoor heating and cooling process through a data-driven consumer platform for buying, installing, and financing energy efficient heat pumps
- a start-up that created a platform that connects job seekers with interests in sustainability, green energy, or climate change work to opportunities with non-profit and for-profit entities, as well as related government positions
We could not be any prouder of these clients’ efforts to advance sustainability, combat climate change, and make our world a better place. The same can be said of Warren Koshofer, John Giardino, Michael Poster, Ryan Hong, Harpreet Walia, Megan Penick, Sam Licker, Michelle Le, Bianka Valbrun and Hayley Hodson, the M&R attorneys and one summer associate (Hayley) who’s expertise and generosity are positioning these clients to do just that.
This blog post is not offered, and should not be relied on, as legal advice. You should consult an attorney for advice in specific situations.
