Energy & Utilities
Cohen Seglias’ Energy & Utilities Group is dedicated to serving the legal needs of companies and individuals engaged in the energy industry in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and New York. Located in the heart of the Marcellus Shale Formation, our team is familiar with the legal, regulatory, financial, and political challenges facing companies involved in natural gas, oil, and coal production. With this knowledge, our attorneys continuously meet the regulatory, transactional, and litigation needs of our clients.
- Represented an established petroleum industry trade organization in a lawsuit against the Pennsylvania Environmental Quality Board, which was resolved by new legislation resulting in the rescission of new proposed regulations that would have drastically increased the costs of conventional oil and natural gas well development.
- Served as co-counsel with an environmental law firm in the representation of a pipeline company during an investigation by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC), advising the client on how to avoid criminal liability.
- Revised an internal policy for a large, regional oil and natural gas producer regarding its workplace hazard identification and incident reporting procedures required under federal regulations promulgated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
- Drafted formal comments to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on behalf of a petroleum industry trade organization regarding final effluent limitations guidelines and standards for oil and natural gas extraction point sources.
- Drafted formal comments to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) on behalf of a petroleum industry trade organization regarding changes to DEP’s advisory committee guidelines and policies for the development and review of its regulations.
- Represented a national, privately-held energy exploration company required to produce documents as part of an investigation of a state employee conducted by the Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission.
- Participated in the successful representation of a Fortune 10 energy company during a civil investigation of energy industry practices conducted by the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, Bureau of Consumer Protection and Antitrust Section.
- Advised a large energy trade association on the requirements of the Pennsylvania Public Official and Employee Ethics Act enforced by the State Ethics Commission.
- Advised three mid-sized energy trade associations in the formation of a joint non-profit corporation to address issues related to the proper disposal of wastewater produced during conventional oil and natural gas production operations.
- As government counsel, represented the Attorney General in an argument before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in a seminal environmental appeal, successfully securing reversal of an adverse decision of the Commonwealth Court and seventeen years of unfavorable precedent governing the constitutional obligation to preserve evidence.
Our team is well versed with the existing regulations and we regularly represent our clients in disputes with federal and state government agencies. To serve our clients transactional needs, we assist energy and utility companies, landowners, and royalty owners in matters related to the production and transportation of oil and gas. We also advise on oil and gas leases, surface use agreements, pipeline right-of-ways, and mineral title matters. Many of our Energy & Utilities attorneys are litigators, and clients rely on our team to resolve claims and lawsuits relating to the interpretation and enforcement of contractual agreements governing the production and transportation of oil and gas, royalty payment disputes, and the resolution of questions surrounding titles to materials.
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