Baker Botts L.L.P services

Baker Botts’ clients come from a diverse array of industries, but they share a common commitment to driving improvements in America’s air quality while sustaining our nation’s competitiveness and economic growth. A pro-active role is essential in the development of effective national, state and regional air quality regulatory initiatives, while responding effectively to enforcement actions, permit challenges and private party litigation. Air quality regulation has been a dynamic challenge for many years, as goals and priorities tend to shift.

Baker Botts combines its in depth knowledge of the energy business, its deep experience in development of sophisticated energy projects, and its considerable experience with wind, biomass and solar projects to create a team of lawyers capable of guiding clients through the political, economic and legal risks associated with developing alternative energy technologies into viable commercial projects. Additionally, Baker Botts has sophisticated commercial lawyers and intellectual property lawyers who are able to work together to take new CleanTech and GreenTech ideas from creation to financing to market.

The U.S. EPA has announced its intention to employ Clean Water Act (CWA) authorities to protect U.S. waters from such diverse alleged threats as ocean acidification. Baker Botts offers considerable experience in nearly all types of water quality issues, including compliance, agency enforcement of water quality standards and development of water quality regulations. We have represented clients to address ocean acidification issues, storm water permitting, Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasure rule compliance and other significant water quality issues. For example, we have worked with clients to clarify the extent of federal jurisdiction over wetlands under Section 404 of the CWA and the precise extent of “waters of the United States.” Current judicial decisions vary widely concerning the scope of the Corps’ authority to regulate wetlands, and a lack of uniform regulatory practices among Corps districts has created considerable confusion among landowners.

Baker Botts lawyers have substantial experience addressing a broad range of hazardous waste and toxic substance cleanup matters arising under the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (“CERCLA”), the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (“RCRA”) and other federal and related state statutes. Our lawyers possess extensive experience addressing the full array of legal and technical issues associated with contaminated properties and complex environmental cleanups, having been involved in some of the most significant cleanup cases arising under federal and state environmental laws. Based on this experience, we have developed innovative and effective strategies to assist our clients when addressing environmental issues at these types of sites.

Transactions involving the electric power industry have been a core competence of Baker Botts for over 100 years. During that time, much of the worldwide power industry has been deregulated and privatized. Today, growing concerns about global warming promise even greater changes – more renewable generation, carbon abatement transactions and projects, and implementation of smart grid technologies. We understand the commercial and regulatory implications of these trends, and help our clients succeed in all aspects of this dynamic industry. Our clients cover the spectrum of participants in the power industry in virtually all types of relevant transactions, projects, and regulatory proceedings, including project development, project finance, permit and rate cases, and acquisitions and divestitures.

Baker Botts has substantial experience with the regulation of natural resource developments, including oil and gas and renewable resources. We have advised a range of clients-including trade associations and individual companies-on the regulation of oil and gas development activities and have represented clients in rulemaking proceedings and other administrative, legislative and judicial proceedings at the federal, state and local levels.

The Baker Botts Environmental Practice is comprised of lawyers dedicated specifically to environmental matters. We provide one of the broadest practices in the country, combining decades of experience and a wide array of skills to help our clients solve their environmental and health and safety challenges. We represent clients in every significant aspect of regulatory counseling, strategic permitting, litigation, legislative matters, rulemaking, criminal investigations, corporate crises, civil enforcement, contaminated site remediation and business transactions.

The collective voice of business is often more persuasive than one or two lone company voices, particularly when the industry voice represents thousands of company, employee and shareholder opinions forged into a thoughtful consensus. Our environmental coalitions give our clients effective tools in advocacy efforts, as well as avenues to track new legislation, regulatory initiatives and litigation trends. Our groups afford interactive platforms to benchmark emerging issues and industry responses--in a time-sensitive and cost-effective manner.

Baker Botts has core strengths in energy, intellectual property and air quality environmental issues. As an international law firm focused on the energy industry and technology, Baker Botts brings to its downstream energy work the combined strengths of its deep knowledge of the energy industry; its environmental practice focused on air quality policy, permitting and enforcement and climate change and its Intellectual Property Practice with significant experience in downstream oil and gas and petrochemical processes and manufacturing.