A lawsuit filed against the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), accusing the organization of false advertising and deceptive trade practices, has been dismissed in the United States District Court, Southern District of New York. In October 2010 Henry Gifford and others filed the suit against the USGBC and several of its founders. The suit originally was a class-action but in February 2011 was amended and as of that amendment, was no longer a class-action suit. The amendment also listed only the USGBC, and not any individuals, as the defendant.
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There was no immediate comment from plaintiff Gifford when the suit was dismissed on August 17, 2011. The USGBC's president and chief executive officer Rick Fedrizzi, one of the originally named defendants in the case, did comment. "This successful outcome is a testament to our process and to our commitment to do what is right," he said. "Thousands of people around the world use LEED because it's a proven tool for achieving our mission of transofmring the built environment. We're grateful that the court found in our favor so we can give our full attention to the important work before us."
You can visit the USGBC here.
You can visit Henry Gifford's personal website, EnergySavingScience, here.
