A Leading Energy Regulatory Practice
Bracewell has one of the world’s leading energy regulatory teams. We have been ranked Band 1 for Oil & Gas Regulatory and Litigation in Chambers USA for nine years in a row (2016-2023) — a distinction held by only one other firm. For the last nine years, we have been ranked as a top national firm in Legal 500 US for Energy Regulatory: Oil and Gas (Tier 1), and Energy Regulatory: Conventional Power.
Drawing on our capabilities as one the largest dedicated energy teams in the world, we help energy companies navigate an increasingly unpredictable regulatory environment. Our lawyers are market leaders on the complex and unique regulatory issues involving oil and gas pipeline projects, advising midstream clients such as Kinder Morgan, Phillips 66, Targa Resources and TC Energy. We’re equally skilled in handling regulatory matters for conventional power companies and utilities, such as Central Maine Power, ENGIE, Equinor and Powerex, to name but a few.
We have broad experience on energy regulatory matters, providing clients with up-to-the-minute advice on regulatory developments and in some cases establishing new precedents. In 2020, for example, we helped Rockies Express Pipeline LLC in obtaining favorable orders from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in a hotly contested proceeding that established a new precedent in bankruptcy matters involving distressed energy companies.
Our lawyers have decades of experience representing clients before federal and state regulatory agencies in connection with electric transmission and ratemaking, oil and gas pipelines, LNG projects, energy storage, renewable energy and sustainability, carbon capture utilization and sequestration (CCUS), and hydrogen development. Our team includes individuals who have practiced within and before federal and state courts, FERC, the US Department of Energy (DOE) and various state regulatory agencies. The team also includes lawyers with more than 25 years of senior-level experience at the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and FERC.
We administer the Energy Compliance Network, an ad hoc industry group that monitors energy compliance and enforcement issues at the CFTC, FERC and state regulatory commissions. We also provide timely updates on current regulations and their potential impact through our Energy Legal Blog®.
We Know Energy®.
Areas of Focus
Commodities & Trading
Our team has deep knowledge of the rules governing commodity regulation and trading based on their diverse backgrounds. Team members include lawyers who have held in-house positions at banks and trading companies, as well as lawyers with over 25 years of senior-level experience at US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Our intimate understanding of the ins and outs of regulatory regimes — as well as our longstanding relationships with regulators — enables us to provide practical advice that helps energy companies anticipate and resolve regulatory issues.
We advise on regulatory and legislative matters pertaining to commodities, derivative markets, market infrastructure, major industrials, oil and gas producers, and utilities. We have broad experience across the full range of commodity regulations, which we bring to bear in helping our clients navigate the regulatory issues related to their trading strategies and objectives.
Meet the teamCompliance and Enforcement
We have achieved outstanding results for our energy clients, helping them with compliance and enforcement actions before state and federal energy regulatory agencies, including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the Department of Energy’s Office of Enforcement. We also represent clients in inquiries and investigations by self-regulatory organizations, such as CME Group and ICE Futures.
We advise energy companies on diverse compliance and enforcement matters, including:
- non-bona fide prearranged trades
- allegations of wash and fictitious trades
- position limit violations
- market manipulation, including responding to data requests
- CFTC Wells notices
- FERC preliminary conclusions and settlement negotiations
Electric Power
We have decades of experience representing clients in all aspects of power generation and transmission regulation, licensing and ratemaking. Clients choose us because we are an industry leader with a proven track record of success in nearly every type of law that affects energy regulation, including corporate, tax, environmental and litigation.
Our lawyers represent electric transmission and distribution utilities, independent power producers, power marketers and investors in energy companies before various regulatory agencies. We have served as regulatory counsel on some of the largest transactions in the power sector. For example, we acted as lead FERC counsel to Great Plains in its $15 billion merger with Westar, as well as Rockland Capital in the acquisition of six generating facilities in Ohio and Indiana from AES.
We are one of the few firms with the experience necessary to address the continuing need for major capital expenditures by the US electric industry to support investment in transmissions and renewables. This work includes responding to state requests for proposals; litigation and regulatory approvals for new and existing infrastructure owners to receive adequate compensation to develop, produce and delivery renewable energy to load centers; and transaction-related regulatory approval for renewable energy mergers and acquisition. Our experience includes advising on multi-million dollar projects, such as Equinor’s offshore transmission project in New York and the $950 million New England Clean Energy Connect transmission project, which interconnects renewable resources in remote areas to the electric transmission grid.
Meet the teamOil & Gas Transactions
When oil and gas pipeline developers encounter complex regulatory issues and controversies, they turn to Bracewell. We are a preeminent pipeline development firm, with deep regulatory experience that is buttressed by top-flight environmental, transactional, financing and litigation practices.
“Bracewell attorneys are experts in pipeline regulatory matters and have experience of experience working within the industry,” notes Chambers USA (2021).
We have helped clients in regulatory approval for multibillion oil and gas projects and transactions. For example, we represented Phillips 66 in the regulatory process of commencing service on the Gray Oak pipeline project, including a new storage service that was added in response to market conditions resulting in part from the COVID-19 pandemic. We also provided regulatory advice in the development of the $2 billion cross-border natural gas pipeline system by Nexus Gas Transmission and the $2 billion Permian Highway Pipeline Project by Kinder Morgan.
Meet the teamOur team has deep knowledge of the rules governing commodity regulation and trading based on their diverse backgrounds. Team members include lawyers who have held in-house positions at banks and trading companies, as well as lawyers with over 25 years of senior-level experience at US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Our intimate understanding of the ins and outs of regulatory regimes — as well as our longstanding relationships with regulators — enables us to provide practical advice that helps energy companies anticipate and resolve regulatory issues.
We advise on regulatory and legislative matters pertaining to commodities, derivative markets, market infrastructure, major industrials, oil and gas producers, and utilities. We have broad experience across the full range of commodity regulations, which we bring to bear in helping our clients navigate the regulatory issues related to their trading strategies and objectives.
Meet the teamWe have achieved outstanding results for our energy clients, helping them with compliance and enforcement actions before state and federal energy regulatory agencies, including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the Department of Energy’s Office of Enforcement. We also represent clients in inquiries and investigations by self-regulatory organizations, such as CME Group and ICE Futures.
We advise energy companies on diverse compliance and enforcement matters, including:
- non-bona fide prearranged trades
- allegations of wash and fictitious trades
- position limit violations
- market manipulation, including responding to data requests
- CFTC Wells notices
- FERC preliminary conclusions and settlement negotiations
We have decades of experience representing clients in all aspects of power generation and transmission regulation, licensing and ratemaking. Clients choose us because we are an industry leader with a proven track record of success in nearly every type of law that affects energy regulation, including corporate, tax, environmental and litigation.
Our lawyers represent electric transmission and distribution utilities, independent power producers, power marketers and investors in energy companies before various regulatory agencies. We have served as regulatory counsel on some of the largest transactions in the power sector. For example, we acted as lead FERC counsel to Great Plains in its $15 billion merger with Westar, as well as Rockland Capital in the acquisition of six generating facilities in Ohio and Indiana from AES.
We are one of the few firms with the experience necessary to address the continuing need for major capital expenditures by the US electric industry to support investment in transmissions and renewables. This work includes responding to state requests for proposals; litigation and regulatory approvals for new and existing infrastructure owners to receive adequate compensation to develop, produce and delivery renewable energy to load centers; and transaction-related regulatory approval for renewable energy mergers and acquisition. Our experience includes advising on multi-million dollar projects, such as Equinor’s offshore transmission project in New York and the $950 million New England Clean Energy Connect transmission project, which interconnects renewable resources in remote areas to the electric transmission grid.
Meet the teamWhen oil and gas pipeline developers encounter complex regulatory issues and controversies, they turn to Bracewell. We are a preeminent pipeline development firm, with deep regulatory experience that is buttressed by top-flight environmental, transactional, financing and litigation practices.
“Bracewell attorneys are experts in pipeline regulatory matters and have experience of experience working within the industry,” notes Chambers USA (2021).
We have helped clients in regulatory approval for multibillion oil and gas projects and transactions. For example, we represented Phillips 66 in the regulatory process of commencing service on the Gray Oak pipeline project, including a new storage service that was added in response to market conditions resulting in part from the COVID-19 pandemic. We also provided regulatory advice in the development of the $2 billion cross-border natural gas pipeline system by Nexus Gas Transmission and the $2 billion Permian Highway Pipeline Project by Kinder Morgan.
Meet the teamGlobal Recognition for Excellence
Our lawyers have a deep understanding of the overarching energy regulatory regime and are internationally recognized as market leaders in Chambers Global, Chambers USA and Legal 500 US.
- Chambers Global – USA Electricity Regulatory & Litigation; USA Oil & Gas Regulatory & Litigation (Band 1)
- Chambers USA – Nationwide Oil & Gas Regulatory & Litigation (Band 1)
- Legal 500 US – Energy Regulation: Conventional Power; Energy Regulation: Oil & Gas (Tier 1)
- U.S. News – Best Lawyers – National Energy Law (Tier 1); National Oil & Gas Law (Tier 1); Houston Energy Law (Tier 1); Houston Natural Resources Law (Tier 1); Houston Oil & Gas Law (Tier 1); Washington, DC Energy Law (Tier 1); Washington, DC Regulatory Enforcement Litigation; Washington, DC Oil & Gas Law (Tier 1)
The team has strong experience and expertise to effectively counsel clients through issues, with an understanding of business objectives.
Chambers USA, 2023

Market-Leading Engagements
We provided regulatory advice on complex transactions in the energy sector.
- Apache Corporation in a strategic partnership with EPIC Midstream Holdings, LP and Noble Energy Inc. to develop the EPIC Crude Oil Pipeline, including transportation service agreements, tariffs and related regulatory matters
- Apache Corporation in the formation of SCM Alpine, LLC, which will own and operate a greenfield NGL y-grade pipeline, including transportation service agreements, tariffs and related regulatory matters
- Avangrid Renewables Holdings, Inc. on regulatory and commercial advice regarding a complex structure providing for the optimization of transmission among renewable generators
- Central Maine Power Company on FERC matters related to the New England Clean Energy Connect $950 million transmission project
- Central Maine Power Company and The United Illuminating Company in a series of FERC complaint proceedings, including full hearings, and DC Circuit appeals regarding the return on equity the companies recover for their transmission investments through FERC jurisdictional transmission rates
- Cheniere Energy, Inc. in the formation of a joint venture for the development of the Midship pipeline project, an approximately 200 mile, 36-inch, FERC-regulated natural gas pipeline with capacity of up to 1,400 MMcf/day from the Scoop/Stack plays in Oklahoma to Bennington, Oklahoma, including drafting and negotiating precedent agreements for anchor shippers for the project and advising on regulatory and commercial matters
- Cheyenne Light, Fuel and Power Company in a fixed stated transmission rate case before FERC for an electric utility located in Wyoming related to a large transmission project and subsequent transmission formula rate case
- Energy Transfer Partners L.P. (including Sunoco Logistics), as regulatory counsel on crude oil pipeline projects including Dakota Access, Bayou Bridge, Permian Express 2, Permian Express 3, and other crude oil pipelines; advised on open season and transportation agreement issues and handled regulatory approvals, including obtaining declaratory orders from FERC approving rates and terms and conditions of service