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About Ann

Ann Navaro advises on and litigates under the federal laws and policies governing natural resources and the environment. After more than 25 years as a top litigator and policy adviser to the federal government, Ann brings exceptional insight and acumen to clients seeking to build infrastructure, produce valuable natural resources, or improve government policies and programs affecting their businesses. She has held senior legal and policy positions at the US Army Corps of Engineers and the US Department of the Interior. Ann spent more than 10 years as a trial lawyer in the Environment and Natural Resources Division at the US Department of Justice, as well as 10 years litigating and managing civil works litigation for the Army Corps.

Ann has advised on some of the most challenging and high-profile policy issues in natural resources and environmental law, including NEPA reform, federal permit streamlining, wetlands protection, and protected species policy.  She has litigated or overseen the litigation of scores of disputes involving a wide range of issues, such as upstream energy permitting, wetlands permitting, offshore royalties, federal takings and constitutional challenges.

Ann supports clients—including infrastructure developers and companies active in the upstream, pipeline, renewables, power transmission, and LNG sectors—on project siting and operation; permitting and enforcement under federal wetland, habitat and resource statutes; and related regulatory issues, policy advocacy, and litigation.

A very good attorney and seasoned litigator.
Chambers USA, 2022

Experience

Publications and Speeches

Instructor for Energy Bar Association Environmental Law Course, September 22-23

“Working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: the Regulatory Program in the Southwestern Division,” Association Of Oil Pipelines Annual Business Conference, September 2021

"Non-Federal Infrastructure Projects and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the Federal Courts: The Dakota Access and Keystone XL Pipelines," ABA Infrastructure Magazine, Vol. 60, No. 2, Winter 2021. 

“The Corps of Engineers’ Nationwide 12 Permit: Pipeline Litigation and the Litigation Pipeline,“ ABA Trends Newsletter, Vol. 52, No. 4, March/April 2021.

“The Nationwide Permits – Their Promise and Peril,” ABA SEER Fall Conference, 2020.

"The Wonderful World of WOTUS: The Ever Changing Meaning of Waters of the United States," Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation, July 2020 (co-presenter)

"Permitting Issues Related to the US Army Corps of Engineers," Association of Oil Pipe Lines Annual Business Conference, September 2019

"Taming NEPA Tigers in the Trump Administration: How Two Agencies Handle Consideration of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Under the National Environmental Policy Act And Why It Matters," Texas Environmental Super Conference, August 2019

"Environment and Natural Resource Laws Applicable to Infrastructure Projects: Changes Affecting Projects Planning & Execution," ABA Webinar, July 24, 2019

"NEPA 101," Environmental Law Institute, June 11, 2019

Credentials

Education

University of Cincinnati College of Law,
J.D.
1991
Wellesley College,
Bachelor of Arts
1988
cum laude

Bar Admissions

Pennsylvania
District of Columbia

Affiliations

Law360
Environmental Editorial Advisory Board
2021 - 2022

News

News

Insights

Insights

Noteworthy

Noteworthy

Chambers USA
District of Columbia Environment, 2022 - 2023
The Legal 500 United States
Environment: Litigation, 2022 - 2023; Environment: Regulatory, 2023
Portfolio Media, Inc.
Law360
Environmental MVP, 2020
BL Rankings
Best Lawyers
Environmental Law, 2023 - 2024
Lawdragon Inc.
Lawdragon 500 Leading US Energy Lawyers
Energy Regulation and Litigation, 2023 - 2024
Lawdragon Inc.
Lawdragon Green 500: Leaders in Environmental Law
Environmental Law, Especially Litigation, 2024

Events