Manatt Adds Climate Change Senior Advisor Jon Costantino in Sacramento
SACRAMENTO, CA – April 12, 2010 – Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, announced today that Jon M. Costantino has joined the firm as a Senior Advisor. Costantino is leaving his position as Manager of Climate Change Planning at the California Air Resources Board (CARB) Office of Climate Change to join Manatt, and will be based in the firm’s Sacramento office.
At CARB, a part of the California Environmental Protection Agency, Costantino successfully guided one of California’s most politically sensitive, technically challenging and economically significant projects from its infancy to conclusion — AB 32’s Climate Change Scoping Plan. After its adoption, Costantino was responsible for developing and coordinating the implementation of the Plan’s regulatory measures, as well as securing the funding mechanism needed to support California’s climate mitigation program.
“Jon is a recognized leader in this dynamic area, with more than 17 years of experience managing high-level projects in the area of climate change and air pollution control. He has developed policy and implemented programs with billions of dollars of implications for the economy,” said Craig Moyer, chair of Manatt’s Land, Environment and Energy Division. “Many of the issues our clients care about are addressed and resolved at the government level; Jon’s intimate knowledge of the process and players will further enhance our ability to deliver creative and effective solutions for our clients.”
At Manatt, Costantino will be managing environmental issues for clients in both political and regulatory environments. With his unique expertise, he will be working closely with the firm’s Land, Environment and Energy Division and its Government and Regulatory Policy Division.
The firm, Costantino said, “is widely regarded as one of the preeminent law firms in the country when it comes to the intersection of business and government, which is precisely where the environmental issues I have worked on reside. Manatt is the ideal place for me to begin this next phase of my career, and I look forward to putting my expertise to work for the firm’s clients.”
“Climate change and the environment continue to be high priorities for the nation and California,” said George Kieffer, chair of Manatt’s Government and Regulatory Policy Division. “Jon’s addition gives our robust government and environment teams a tremendous new resource with respect to policy and funding in the environment space. We are thrilled to welcome him to the firm.”
Prior to his role as Manager of Climate Change Planning, Costantino was the lead legislative analyst at CARB, making technical and policy recommendations on both state and federal legislation. During his seven years in California’s state capitol, he built a broad portfolio of expertise covering the state’s biggest industries and many of its most powerful stakeholders, including energy, agriculture, construction, and transportation fuels.
Costantino earned a B.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of California, Davis.
About Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP
Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, is one of the nation’s leading law firms with offices strategically located in California (Los Angeles, Orange County, Palo Alto, San Francisco and Sacramento), New York (New York City and Albany) and Washington, D.C. The firm represents a sophisticated client base -- including Fortune 1000, middle-market and emerging companies -- across a range of practice areas and industry sectors. For more information, visit www.manatt.com.