July 24, 2000
THE DAILY JOURNAL
By Tamara Scott
LOS ANGELES – Environmental law attorney Barry C. Groveman has left New York-based Proskauer Rose to join Los Angeles’ Musick Peeler & Garret as a partner. Groveman joined Musick Peeler last Monday.
Groveman, who specializes in environmental litigation and regulatory issue counseling, has been in Proskauer’s Los Angeles office since 1995. He headed the firm’s West Coast environmental law practice group, which he takes with him to Musick Peeler. Senior associates Gregory J. Patterson and K. Ryan Hiete, an environmental science adviser and a legal secretary left Proskauer with Groveman. Another senior associate is expected to join this week, Groveman said.
Groveman is probably best known for his failed bid to become Los Angeles County district attorney in the March primary. Groveman said he has no political ambitions “right now” and wants to focus on building a significant water issue practice in California.
“I am refreshed and energized now, and I’ve developed a passion to grow my business,” Groveman said. “I benefited from all of the visibility and I’m ready to reach out and get business.”
Groveman’s clients have included both public and private entities, such as the cities of Los Angeles, Montebello and Santa Monica; aerospace companies; and real estate developers. He has done more than 75 jury trials, at least a dozen of which involved environmental litigation.
For the past two years Groveman has served as the Los Angeles Unified School District’s chief investigative attorney looking into alleged conflicts of interest, fraud and environmental cover-ups related to the $200 million Belmont Learning Complex adjacent to downtown Los Angeles.
His tenure in public environmental law matters dates back to 1979, when he was senior assistant Los Angeles city attorney under then-City Attorney Ira Reiner, who selected him to head the environmental protection division. In 1984, when Reiner became district attorney, Groveman became a special assistant in the district attorney’s office in charge of environmental prosecutions. At the height of Superfund cleanup there were 10 deputy district attorneys and eight special investigators working under him to target intentional environmental dumpers.
During the 1980s, Groveman authored California Health and Safety Code environmental law provisions and co-authored Proposition 65, California’s Clean Water and Toxic Enforcement Act, which was overwhelmingly passed by the public in 1986.
In 1987, he established his own firm, Groveman and Young, which quickly grew to 12 attorneys. When his partner Herb Young retired, the boutique merged with McKenna & Cuneo. Proskauer recruited him in 1995 to head its national environmental law practice.
Musick Peeler’s managing partner, R. Joseph De Briyn, said he believes Groveman was particularly attracted to the firm because it does not have high billing requirements associated with large firms.
“I think Barry came over here because he had a real opportunity to lead our practice group and not be under pressure to build billing rates,” De Briyn said. “There are no minimum billable hours, and attorneys here are not required to squeeze clients. That’s an honest approach.”
Groveman’s practice will be combined with Musick Peeler’s environmental work for hospitals and health care groups, De Briyn said. The firm has 92 attorneys in offices in Costa Mesa, San Diego and at its headquarters. There are seven lawyers in the firm’s environmental practice group, including the Groveman group.
“It appears from everything I’ve heard [the Groveman group is] joining a firm that wants to support their practice and the clients they want to serve,” said Proskauer’s Los Angeles managing partner, Martin S. Zohn. “We’re happy that [Groveman] has joined a firm interested in the segment of the practice and clients he’s serving.”
Proskauer’s national environmental practice group, which now includes a handful of attorneys in multiple disciplines, will now be headed by Robert Kafin from the firm’s New York office, according to Zohn.
Bill Nason of Watanabe & Nason, a Los Angeles-based legal recruiting and consulting firm, brokered the deal.
“It was a very enjoyable experience [at Proskauer],” Groveman said. “This was about opportunity. I love the public work and, coming out of campaigning, I want to do more of it.”