Devin O’Connor advises clients on cutting-edge federal environmental regulatory issues and litigation under federal environmental law, with a particular focus on large-scale energy infrastructure and transportation.
Devin leverages her firm grasp of complex environmental and federal land issues to help energy developers and other leading companies navigate an ever-changing regulatory landscape. She guides clients on:
Major project development and permitting
Compliance with federal environmental regulatory obligations
Federal court litigation under environmental laws
Federal agency rulemaking
Environmental, social, and governance issues
She anticipates and crafts strategies to address critical issues and competing interests at every stage of a matter. Devin handles a wide range of complicated issues under federal environmental laws, including the National Environmental Policy Act; Endangered Species Act; National Historic Preservation Act; Clean Air Act; Clean Water Act; and Comprehensive Environmental Response, and Compensation and Liability Act.
A recognized firm leader, Devin has served on Latham’s Global Associates Committee.
Devin prioritizes giving back to the community and organizes volunteer efforts through Buildable Hours, a nonprofit organization that connects lawyers with Habitat for Humanity construction projects in their communities. She maintains an active pro bono practice, including advising on project development and historic preservation issues.
Experience
Devin’s experience includes:
Regulatory counseling and defending Bureau of Ocean Energy Management approvals related to offshore wind in federal court
Regulatory comments and litigation in the US Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit regarding vehicle greenhouse gas emissions and fuel economy standards
Defending federal approvals for wind project development in federal district court litigation over environmental review and avian regulatory issues
Advising on environmental review and cultural resource issues associated with federal approval of transmission lines for solar projects
Counseling a utility company on cultural resource and endangered species issues related to a groundwater cleanup project
Advising on environmental review, endangered species, and cultural resource issues associated with high-speed rail development project
Counseling on Department of Transportation Act Section 4(f), National Historic Preservation Act Section 106, and National Environmental Policy Act issues associated with redevelopment at a major metropolitan airport
Briefing in the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in defense of federal approvals for an energy project
Counseling on alternative-fuel vehicle regulatory code compliance issues
Advising on environmental, health, and safety diligence issues, including relating to environmental permit transfers, in M&A transactions
Representing the state of Florida in an interstate water rights dispute before the US Supreme Court
A team of Latham litigators once again secured a preliminary injunction allowing construction on the nearly finished, fully permitted Revolution Wind project to resume and blocking the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s stop work order.
A team of Latham litigators secured a court order allowing Revolution Wind, the 80% complete, US$6.2 billion offshore wind project, to restart construction.
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