Brian advises clients on matters that arise under the Clean Water Act (CWA), Endangered Species Act (ESA), National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other environmental statutes. He assists applicants in obtaining and defending federal permits for complicated energy and development projects. He has assisted on various permitting, regulatory, and litigation projects including supporting the Hunton environmental team in securing a Supreme Court victory with respect to Nationwide Permit 12, a general CWA permit; as well as assisting in several matters regarding Clean Water Act section 404 dredge and fill permits. Brian also has experience advising oil and gas companies with respect to compliance with ESA consultation and permitting obligations and related NEPA compliance issues. Additionally, Brian has experience advocating for clients by drafting comments on administrative rulemakings and engaging with federal agencies on the development of key policies.
He represents a diverse set of clients, including companies and trade associations from a wide variety of industry sectors, including electric utilities, oil and gas, renewables, agriculture, mining, consumer products, housing and commercial development.
Prior to joining the firm, Brian was a law clerk in the Office of General Counsel of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation. He also has experience in two government agencies, as a law clerk at the US Environmental Protection Agency in the Office of Enforcement & Compliance Assurance, and in the Office of the Secretary at the US Department of Energy, where he was the Deputy Director of the Office of Scheduling and Advance, as well as a special assistant to the Secretary of Energy.
Brian is a contributor to the firm’s Nickel Report blog.