Sutherland's Houston March Continues with Additional Two New Partners

HOUSTON, TX (09/11/06) -- Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP today announced the addition of two new environmental partners in the Houston office. Effective today, Gerald J. Pels and Gerald D. Higdon, formerly of Houston's Locke Liddell & Sapp LLP, will join Sutherland's Energy and Environmental Practice Group and will be resident in Houston.

Pels will chair Sutherland's national Environmental Practice, focusing his practice on environmental compliance, counseling and litigation. Higdon will focus his practice primarily on environmental regulatory and administrative matters, as well as brownfields redevelopment. Their move to Sutherland follows a four-partner addition from Locke Liddell that was announced last week.

Sutherland Managing Partner Mark D. Wasserman said, "As we continue to expand our presence in Houston, we feel very fortunate to hire accomplished attorneys such as Gerry and Jerry."

Sutherland's Energy and Environmental attorneys work at the cutting edge of developments that affect the energy, petrochemical, manufacturing, waste and industrial sectors. More than 50 attorneys represent clients in domestic and international business transactions, regulatory matters and litigation. The group's experience also includes environmental permitting and siting; enforcement; Superfund cost recovery and contribution litigation; stationary and mobile air emissions sources; wastewater discharges; land use planning; water rights and appropriation; marine oil spills; hazardous and solid waste transportation, treatment, storage and disposal; petroleum and chemical storage facilities; environmental management and contingency planning; occupational and health and safety requirements; emergency response planning; and insurance coverage for environmental risk.

"We are pleased to welcome Gerry and Jerry to our practice," said Energy and Environmental Practice Group Leader Peter H. Rodgers. "Their environmental experience will complement and bolster our highly respected energy practice."

For their part, Pels and Higdon are enthusiastic about joining Sutherland. "We can now offer our clients access to a broader range of experience and representation on a more national scale than we could before," said Pels. Higdon noted, "It's clear that Sutherland is on the move in Houston, and with the recent significant additions, our clients will be well served."

Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP is an AmLaw 100 law firm known for solving challenging business problems and resolving unique legal issues for many of the nation's largest companies. Founded in 1924, the firm has grown to more than 450 lawyers with offices in Atlanta, Austin, Houston, New York, Tallahassee and Washington. For further information about the firm, please visit www.sablaw.com.