Mark J. Bennett (Troy, Mich.), senior counsel and team leader of Miller Canfield’s Climate Change practice, was recently named vice-chair of the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Carbon Trading and Energy Finance Committee for the 2010-2011 term.

Bennett’s position with the ABA will concentrate on the confluence of the evolving areas of climate, environmental and real estate law and how they impact the energy efficiency of commercial real estate.

“The greening of our country’s building stock will gain increased attention as several jurisdictions are implementing transactional energy disclosure regulations and green building codes that will bring energy efficiency to the forefront of the due diligence process in commercial real estate transactions,” said Bennett.  “I plan to focus my efforts within the ABA to ensure that members are well informed as these new laws are implemented so that they can best serve their clients.”

At Miller Canfield, Bennett has combined his training in real estate and environmental law into his position as leader of the Climate Change team, managing a broad array of issues in this emerging area of law. His practice also includes a focus on advising clients in the acquisition and development of commercial real estate, as well as guiding companies in conducting environmental due diligence in real estate transactions. He earned his J.D. from Wayne State University Law School and B.A. from Michigan State University.

Miller Canfield’s Climate Change team, comprised of lawyers throughout Michigan, as well as in Chicago, New York, Toronto, Mexico and Shanghai, advises clients from a global perspective and uses multi-disciplinary expertise to address and resolve new green issues, including research and development on carbon finance, renewable-energy corporate formation and green building and sustainable development. Visit http://www.millercanfield.com/climatelaw.