Thorn & Associates is very active in helping green and sustainable businesses carry out all aspects of their missions as well as assisting more conventional businesses address specific green issues. We believe that all companies, regardless of size or industry, can benefit from understanding and implementing green and sustainable practices. We strive to provide companies elegant legal solutions to a variety of issues such as:
- Forming Benefit Corporations (aka B Corps)
- Incorporating green and sustainable issues into articles of incorporation, by-laws and other corporate documents.
- Applying for grants, tax incentives, and other programs for green issues.
- Drafting contracts to incorporate green and sustainable principles.
- Helping entrepreneurs bring their visions into reality.
- Negotiating leases and incorporating green provisions.
- Redeveloping brownfields and former industrial sites.
- Determining that marketing and advertising material is compliance with the FTC Green Guides.
- Developing green building projects (e.g., USGBC LEED certification)
Our qualifications: Thorn & Associates is active in the Illinois Chapter of United States Green Building Council and is a member of the USGBC-Illinois’ Affinity Program The firm is also a member of the Foresight Sustainable Business Alliance and Mr. Thorn serves on the Alliance’s Public Policy Committee. Mr. Thorn is also a former US EPA attorney and all of the firm’s attorneys are LEED Accredited Professionals and have science or engineering degrees. Mr. Thorn is currently President of the Board for the Illinois Solar Energy Association.
We have embraced sustainability in our own operations. We operate through a virtual office, minimizing the environmental pollution, air emissions, and electricity consumption associated with a traditional mortar and brick establishment. We also strive to minimize the paper, ink, and electricity consumption associated with printing. When printing is required the firm makes efforts to use soy based and solid inks and recycled paper. Furthermore, the emissions associated with the servers maintaining our website are off-set by purchasing renewable energy credits.