Biography - David R. Beane

Personal

David is a lifelong resident of Berks County with family roots in the County dating back to the 19th Century.  Raised in Reiffton, he graduated from Exeter Township High School in 1981 and now resides with his family in one of Reading’s downtown historic districts.

Educational Profile

• Albright College, BA, summa cum laude, 1985
• Syracuse University College of Law, cum laude, 1988

Occupational Profile

Upon graduation from law school, David joined the regional law firm of Stevens & Lee where he practiced for 22 years, the last 14 years as a shareholder.  At Stevens & Lee, David was a member of the firm’s Environmental/Toxic Tort and Construction Practice Groups.

In early 2010, David left Stevens & Lee to found Berks County’s very first boutique law firm dedicated exclusively to the practice of environmental law.  Named Beane LLC, David’s firm counsels clients on environmental, energy and sustainability law.

Areas of Experience and Focus

David has extensive experience in all aspects of environmental regulatory and transactional counseling and environmental litigation, including appearing before federal, state and local agencies with authority for environmental compliance and natural resource protection.  Specialized work David has successfully handled includes engagements involving:

• Act 2 land recycling
• AHERA compliance counseling
• Asbestos risk management, including assisting clients with asbestos estimation issues in reorganizational bankruptcies, assisting companies with actuarial assessments of their asbestos litigation risk, helping companies avoid reorganizational bankruptcies, and providing M & A support to assess acquisition candidates’ asbestos liability risk
• Assisting clients to obtain financing for alternative energy projects
• Bio-solid regulation
• Clean Air Act compliance counseling
• Climate change
• Cost recovery actions
• Environmental compliance auditing and reporting
• Environmental insurance coverage litigation and insurance buy-back negotiations
• "Green" building and green leases
• Indoor air issues (including lead based paint, mold and asbestos)
• NESHAP renovation and demolition issues
• OSHA “hazard communication” compliance counseling
• Sewage facility planning
• Solid waste disposal and management
• Stormwater regulation
• Superfund litigation
• Sustainability issues
• U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission environmental disclosure requirements
• Underground storage tank regulation

Memberships

• The Environmental Roundtable of the Greater Reading Chamber of Commerce and Industry
• The American Society of Environmental Professionals (Lehigh Valley Chapter)
• The American Bar Association’s Committee on Climate Change, Sustainable Development and Ecosystems
• The American Bar Association’s Environmental, Energy and Resources Section
• The Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Environmental, Mineral and Natural Resources Section
• The Environmental Section of the Berks County Bar Association

Community Involvement

• Member of the Board of Directors, Community Prevention Partnership of Berks County
• Member of the City of Reading Environmental Advisory Council
• Consistory President at First Reformed UCC in Reading
• David has been active for more than a decade coaching and umpiring Little League baseball and girl’s fastpitch softball