- Managing Partner: Howard Feldman
- Number of partners: 46
- Number of other lawyers: 35
FIRM OVERVIEW: Van Ness Feldman is a Washington, DC-based law firm concentrating on US government policy and regulatory issues in the areas of energy, environmental (including climate change and emissions trading), natural resources, and transportation law.
The firm advises US and international clients in business planning, legislative affairs, project structuring, acquisitions and divestitures, project finance, equity and debt investments, administrative and judicial litigation and arbitrations, and day to day operational and compliance matters.
Clients choose Van Ness Feldman because of the firm’s unwavering focus on energy, environmental, and infrastructure regulation and policy. Clients benefit from the firm’s depth and breadth of government and industry experience, creativity in solving complex problems, ability to help clients develop strategies on cutting edge issues, and the accessibility of senior level practitioners.
MAIN AREAS OF PRACTICE:
Natural Gas, Oil & CO2 Pipelines: The firm provides comprehensive regulatory and project development services to clients that are actively developing over $7 billion in new pipelines—including two of the largest, longest interstate gas pipelines in North America.
Electricity: The firm represents investor-owned utilities and large public power generation and transmission owners in all aspects of regulatory and policy counselling, permitting and project development, compliance, and litigation, and assists electric utilities with development of legislative proposals in the areas of transmission access, construction, and air and climate policy.
Climate Change Policy & Emissions Trading: Van Ness Feldman was one of the first law firms to have an active Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Regulatory Practice, beginning in the mid-1990s. The firm helps clients develop, invest in, and trade credits in regulated and voluntary emission reduction markets and engage in and influence the debates on climate change policy.
Renewable Electricity Generation: The firm advises leading project developers and independent power producers who are developing wind, solar, geothermal, tidal, and waste-to-energy projects on FERC and other regulatory issues, project permitting, and transactions.
Energy Efficiency & Clean Technology: Van Ness Feldman counsels product manufacturers, electric utilities, and non-governmental organisations on policy, regulation, and incentives related to energy efficient products and services. The firm also counsels clean technology companies and their investors on the impacts federal policies will have on their developing markets.
FERC Regulatory & Compliance Counselling: Van Ness Feldman provides counsel on issues implicit in the construction and daily operation of natural gas and oil pipeline infrastructure and electric generation and transmission projects and facilities. The firm assists clients in developing regulatory compliance and risk assessment strategies, and provides transactional and regulatory Counsel for corporate mergers, acquisitions, and reorganisations, as well as energy asset acquisitions and sales.
Natural Resources Permitting & Litigation: The firm assists electric utilities, resource developers, municipalities, and manufacturing companies on a wide range of Clean Air, Water, and Endangered Species Act issues, as well as other permitting, regulatory, and policy matters.
Transportation: The firm represents rail shippers in commercial contract matters, negotiations, litigation, and arbitration. The firm also counsels and advocates for industry associations on legislative matters relating to “captive” rail shipments and railroad antitrust law and policy.
International Project Development: In addition to helping non-US entities engage in transactions in the US (such as an Australian pension fund investing in a US natural gas project), the firm represents a number of international project developers and investors. These include the developers of a combined natural gas and coal-fired electric generation station in El Salvador, and several private investment funds investing in wind and geothermal projects in Central America.
CLIENTS: Clients include investor-owned and government-owned electric utilities, natural gas and oil pipeline operators, energy marketers, independent power producers, rural electric cooperatives, chemical manufacturers, automobile manufacturers, food processors, real estate developers, financial institutions, trade associations, national coalitions, Native American tribes and organisations, and state, local, territorial, and foreign governments.
Representative clients include: Air Products; Alcoa, Inc.; American Electric Power; Applied Materials; Avista; Boardwalk Pipeline Company; Climate Cent Foundation; Coalition for Emission Reduction Policy; Consumers United for Rail Equity; Dominion; Engine Manufacturers Association; Exelon; FutureGen Industrial Alliance; Interstate Natural Gas Association of America; Kinder Morgan; Long Island Power Authority; National Marine ManufacturersAssociation; PacifiCorp; PowerTree LLC; Puget Sound Energy, Inc.; Rockies Express Pipeline; Santee Cooper; Toyota; TradeWind Energy; TransCanada Gas Pipelines.