Practice Areas & Industries: Holland & Hart LLP

Practice/Industry Group Overview

Climate change is rapidly emerging as an important and complex policy area.  It affects a wide array of industries and thus necessitates a multidisciplinary legal approach.  With a wealth of experience in natural resources, environmental compliance, energy, project development, and business law, Holland & Hart is well positioned to merge its attorneys' experience to address the interconnected nature of climate change law.

Holland & Hart's climate change practice group provides counsel on climate change issues to a variety of entities.  The group's work includes counsel regarding energy project development, industrial energy use, regulatory compliance, renewable energy financing, corporate governance, participation in the global carbon market, assessment of climate change-related claims in litigation and government relations at the federal, state and local level.

The climate change practice group's lawyers have close ties and strong working relationships with major energy companies.  Although the firm's practice is centered in the western United States, the group's lawyers handle climate change issues throughout the world.  This enables the group to bring to bear deep experience and broad perspective to the fast-emerging legal and strategic corporate challenges posed by climate change.  As a result, we are well-equipped to provide our clients with sophisticated counsel on climate change issues.

Services Available

Energy Project Development

We represent major developers and consumers of energy, including coal, oil and gas, electric generation, electric transmission, gas pipeline, oil refining, nuclear fuel cycle and mining companies.  Much of our work involves counsel on the structure and terms of energy development projects, which increasingly entails consideration of climate change issues.

Industrial Energy Users

Holland & Hart is counsel to major industrial users of energy and fuels, including refineries, cement plants, mines, wood product facilities, and other manufacturing and service companies for which management of energy costs is critical.  Our representation includes regulatory practice before state utility and energy commissions and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission as counsel to industry consumer coalitions, as well as assistance in contracting for energy and fuel sources and developing alternative energy source strategies.

Regulatory Compliance

We have extensive experience with environmental regulation and compliance at all levels of government.  We provide counsel regarding the applicability of and compliance with the emerging mandatory climate change programs in several states.  We also participate in monitoring and providing input for federal climate change initiatives.

Renewable Energy

Holland & Hart is a major provider of legal counsel to wind energy developers.  We also represent developers of biofuels, geothermal resources and hydroelectric facilities and are actively involved in transmission infrastructure projects to facilitate the delivery of renewable energy to major load centers.

Corporate Governance

Our lawyers provide counsel to businesses on every facet of corporate operations.  Members of the group are called upon to assist management and directors in developing corporate climate change policies and responding to increased pressure for disclosure and assessment of the climate change impacts of corporate operations.

Carbon Markets

Group lawyers have advised clients on participation in emissions trading in North America, Latin America, Europe and China.  Group lawyers also have extensive experience representing clients in creating, acquiring and selling emission offset credits and acid rain allowances under the U.S. Clean Air Act.

Litigation

Our litigators have dealt with climate change-related claims in a variety of contexts, including claims for damage from catastrophic climate events, litigation relating to the scope of government authority to regulate greenhouse gases, and the assessment of climate change impacts from proposed federal actions under the National Environmental Policy Act.

Government Relations

Group lawyers are involved in development of climate change policy at every level of government.  We are active participants in stakeholder groups in Utah, Colorado and Montana which are developing state climate change programs.  Group lawyers serve on and practice before state boards and commissions that are dealing with climate change issues.  At the federal level, we are involved with key executive and legislative branch climate change policy makers.