Beyond A Shadow - Environmental & Legal Services

We offer a full range of tools to help you with your environmental remediation needs, getting you past discovery to closure

We offer a range of environmental remediation and cost recovery services, either in house, or from our range of referred service providers. We have a Registered Environmental Assessor on staff. We can help you get past discovery to closure and help save you from financial ruin. Sometimes, the remediation and closure can be done at little or no cost to you.

Many Benefit From Our Services… Those who may benefit from our services include anyone with hazardous materials or toxics discovered on their land or at their business, or those with a historic connection with such operations.

Typical Clients - People who need our help include owners of dry cleaning establishments, owners of real property that include or ever included a dry cleaning operation or other business that used any toxic or hazardous materials that have likely leaked. This often includes automotive repair centers, gasoline stations, shopping centers, printers, manufacturing operations, metal smelting operations and mining operations. Also typical are homeowners faced with the cost of removal and remediation of an abandoned household fuel tanks.

Dry Cleaners – We know that your business has unique challenges and a long history of sudden and accidental releases of PCE, and prior to that Stoddard Solvent and other hazardous materials. We can help get you into the Government Tank Fund and help you find insurance to cover your losses

Leaking Underground Tank Help – We can help you get the land cleaned, the groundwater re-mediated, and your land or business saved, sometimes at little or no cost to you. This is done by a variety of measures and techniques learned from years of experience.

Hazardous Materials Cleanup - We can assist you with all phases connected with the discovery of hazardous and toxic materials, characterization to remediation to closure. We can interface with the Regional Water Board and other government agencies, the remediation contractors, the insurance companies, and the previous and current potentially responsible parties. We have re-mediation contractors that we work with if you need expedited clean up.

Insurance Archeology – We can help save you from ruin when toxic contamination is discovered on your land or in your business location. Old policies may not have the same Pollution Exclusions and Restrictions and we can help find them. These old policies can sometimes pay for your clean up and your legal bills and business losses. We have helped clients locate millions of dollars in potential insurance coverage limits.

Governmental Fund Submittals – We can help you get re-imbursements from various governmental funds, including from the Leaking Underground Tank Fund

Legal Referrals - We are associated with a law firm in San Francisco that specializes in Civil Litigation including personal injuries and accidents, Business Law, and Environmental Litigation. Our extended team that we can refer to include JD, REA, PE, Geologist, Hydrologist, and California Registered Environmental Contractor. We also have an association with a Santa Barbara law firm for your Southern California legal needs. This Beyond A Shadow Website is owned by the Law Office of Herman I. Kalfen but this website is a stand alone non-integrated Website that does not offer any Legal Services to the public. This Ancillary business renders only non legal services to the public. No Legal services are provided or offered on this Website. If you need a lawyer, then please consider the Law Office of Herman I. Kalfen. To be considered a client of the Law Office of Herman I. Kalfen, you would need to sign a separate written Attorney - Client Fee Agreement contract directly between you and the Law Office of Herman I. Kalfen. You may visit that office at kalfenlawoffice.com or alternately, you should immediately pick any lawyer of your choosing. This website is designed to conform with Rules of the California State Bar and ABA Model Rule 5.7. NO LEGAL ADVICE IS GIVEN OR OFFERED ON THIS WEBSITE.

Expert Testimony – We have worked with some of the foremost expert witnesses, ranging from medical malpractice to hydrology. We can help you find the perfect expert for your needs. Our extended team that we can refer you to has credentials that include JD, REA, PE, Geologist, Hydrologist, Biologist, and California Registered Environmental Contractor.

Environmental Documents & Reports – We can prepare documents required under the California Quality Act (CEQA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) including Environmental Assessments (EA) and Environmental Impact Reports (EIR) and Environmental Impact Statements (EIS).

Permit Assistance – We can assist you through the maze of permits requirements, helping you figure out what permits you need. We can also help you get the permits. This includes City, County and Federal Permits. We are also experienced working in the Californai Coastal Zone and can help you obtain or object to a Coastal Development Permits with the California Coastal Commission.

Citizen Opposition to Project – We can offer support to Citizen’s Groups and others seeking to enforce their rights in opposition to a development project or other action by a private developer or government entity.

Private Investigations – We can assist you with all of your investigative needs with referral or partnership with a licensed investigator to fit your needs. We do not do in house licensed investigation.

Classic Legal Support – We can offer you assistance with your service of process, asset location, skip trace, and para-legal and secretarial support connected with our services. This is offered through referral or via our Civil Litigation Support Department.

High End Specialty Matters - We specialize in select complex high value matters that require a lot of personalized attention and the utmost of discretion from the most talented professionals.