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About Catherine
For more than 30 years, Catherine Little has counseled oil and gas pipeline, terminal and LNG clients across the United States on energy, transportation and safety-related legal matters at the federal, state and local levels. In particular, Catherine regularly advises on a full range of regulatory compliance and enforcement defense matters, including construction and siting, operations, maintenance, inspection, incident response and security issues. Catherine counsels clients with respect to litigation strategy and frequently manages large-scale confidential investigations and compliance audits to assist companies in identifying legal risks and preparing defenses. Catherine and her team have favorably resolved criminal investigation matters led by the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General and the US Department of Justice, and successfully sought federal appellate review for precedential pipeline enforcement matters.
She also frequently works on behalf of her clients as well as industry trade groups on legislative and regulatory rulemakings at the federal and state levels.
Catherine regularly serves as a moderator and speaker at legal and industry conferences and seminars across the United States, and is the author of several articles, chapters and editorials on compliance and regulatory issues.
Experience
Publications and Speeches
Publications:
“PHMSA Regulatory Developments: Agency Focus and Direction,” Moderator, American Petroleum Institute (API) 2022 Pipeline Control Room and Cybernetics Conference, May 2022.
“Midstream Policy & the Supply Chain: Challenges and Opportunities for the Refining Industry,” Panelist, American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) Annual Meeting, March 2022.
“PHMSA Update,” Moderator, AOPL Legal Committee Meeting (annually).
“Legal Roundtable: Pipeline Safety Legal Issues Breakfast Roundtable,” Moderator, AOPL Annual Business Conference (annually).
“Natural Gas Connect Legal Roundtable: PHMSA Updates,” Speaker, Southern Gas Association Natural Gas Connect Academy, 2019 and 2020.
“Final Liquid Pipeline Rule Emphasizes New Safety Requirements,” Law360, October 24, 2019.
“House and Senate Pipeline Bills: Ships Passing in the Night,” Law360, August 20, 2019.
“Legal Roundtable: PHMSA Key Developments,” Natural Gas Connect, July 2019.
“When Defendants Invoke ‘Necessity’ In Pipeline Sabotage,” Law360, May 24, 2018.
“Oil and Gas Pipeline Industry in an Evolving Legal Landscape,” Trends, American Bar Association Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources, September/October 2017.
“Natural Gas Pipeline Infrastructure for Market Expansion: Regulatory and Political Landscape,” Southern States Energy Board 57th Annual Meeting, Exploring the New Vision for America’s Energy Economy, September 2017.
Presentations:
"PHMSA Inspections and Enforcement: Insights and Updates," LEPA 2022 Annual Business Conference, September 2022
"Regulatory Updates," API/AOPL Annual Legal Committee Meeting (May 2020).
"Legal Roundtable: PHMSA Regulatory Updates," Association of Oil Pipelines Annual Business Conference (Sep. 2019).
"Legal Roundtable: PHMSA Key Developments," Natural Gas Connect (Jul. 2019).
"Legal Roundtable," AOPL Annual Business Conference (Sep. 2018).
"Legal Roundtable," API/AOPL Annual Legal Committee Meeting (May 2018).
"Natural Gas Pipeline Infrastructure for Market Expansion: Regulatory and Political Landscape," Southern States Energy Board 57th Annual Meeting, Exploring the New Vision for America’s Energy Economy (Sep. 2017).
"Legal Roundtable," AOPL Annual Business Conference (Sep. 2017).
"Survey of Pipeline Permitting Issues," AOPL Annual Business Conference (Sep. 2017).
"Recent Updates and Developments in Legal Ethics Relevant to the Oil and Gas Industry," AOPL Annual Business Conference (Sep. 2017).