![Corinne Snow](https://media.velaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/31170416/103076_Snow_4x5-819x1024.jpg)
Corinne Snow
![Corinne Snow](https://media.velaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/31170416/103076_Snow_4x5-819x1024.jpg)
2200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Suite 500 West
Washington, D.C. 20037
The Grace Building
1114 Avenue of the Americas
32nd Floor
New York, New York 10036
![Corinne Snow](https://media.velaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/31170416/103076_Snow_4x5-819x1024.jpg)
With a strong background in litigation challenging or defending federal regulations, advising on regulatory compliance, internal investigations, and defense against government investigations and enforcement actions, Corinne provides clients with practical advice on how to prepare for and shape new regulations, how to distill and effectively communicate legal requirements within an organization, and how to manage communications with regulators. She has worked with clients across the energy industry and has been recognized by both the National Law Journal and Law360 as a “rising star”.
Corinne draws on wide experience at the U.S. Department of Justice where she most recently served as Counsel and Chief of Staff in the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, where she assisted in managing a 600-person division that included 400 lawyers. In this role she helped manage the Division’s civil and criminal litigation arising under more than 150 environmental and natural resources laws. She also worked closely with the General Counsel’s Offices for multiple federal agencies, including the EPA, Departments of Interior, Defense, Energy, Commerce, and Agriculture, as well as the White House and Counsel on Environmental Quality to advise high-ranking officials on policy and litigation risks associated with the environmental and natural resource laws and regulations. She also served as Senior Counsel in the Office of the Associate Attorney General, which oversees all civil litigation on behalf of the United States, and as Counselor in the Office of the Attorney General. Her roles in government have given her a unique perspective into the decision-making processes in the federal government.
Corinne has personally argued five cases in four U.S. Courts of Appeals, argued in multiple district courts, and served as the lead or co-lead counsel in district court litigation defending agency regulations, approvals, and permits related to energy projects.
In the private sector, Corinne counsels clients on environmental compliance across a variety of industries, including the energy and mining sectors, water utilities, and trade groups. In the transactional context, she assists in the drafting and negotiating of the environmental terms in purchase and sale agreements, lease agreements, credit agreements, and disclosures for debt and equity offerings and public filings. Corinne also helps clients understand how their environmental and climate disclosures will interact with existing and forthcoming regulatory requirements and how to limit legal liability risks related to those disclosures. She also advises clients on preparing for regulatory changes, including by drafting comments on rules proposed by federal agencies such as EPA, the SEC, FERC, and Interior. She also advises on issues related to emerging contaminants and is a member of the firm’s PFAS task force.
“I have worked with a wide range of attorneys over my long career in the energy industry, and Corinne stands out among them. Time and again, her counsel and judgment have proven invaluable and unerring. I trust her to handle the most important and complex issues for our operations. In short, Corinne is an established star in the environmental bar, and I hold her in the highest regard. Indeed, she is the finest environmental attorney I have had the pleasure of working with over my 22 years in the energy industry (client quote, National Law Journal, 2024).”
“We turned to Corinne in these and other cases because of her ability to marry tenacity to diplomacy, which is critical to an organization like ours that has a well-deserved reputation for challenging federal regulations, when appropriate, in a reasonable, measured manner that never loses sight of [our] deep concern for public health and the environment. . . . There are few environmental lawyers at any level who combine Corinne’s skill and emotional intelligence (client quote, National Law Journal, 2024).”
Experience Highlights
Represented a mining company in negotiating a settlement agreement and order with EPA and the Forest Service for remediation of historic contaminations and served as counsel in a Clean Water Act citizen suit related to the same historic conditions
Represented a petroleum terminal in Clean Air Act enforcement case and air and water discharge permitting issues
Advised clients across multiple industries, including energy, mining, and food, as well as national trade group and members, on forthcoming PFAS developments including drafting and filing comment letters on proposed rules
Obtained a stay pending appeal of an EPA regulation on behalf of a trade group
Provided environmental and climate change due diligence on transactional matters for real estate transactions and for the energy and manufacturing industries
Advised multiple national trade groups and individual companies on strategy for responding to proposed climate and environmental regulations including drafting and filing comment letters on proposed rules
Represented multiple trade groups intervening in litigation over climate or environmental regulations including under the Clean Air Act and Safe Drinking Water Act
Advised clients on climate and environmental disclosures in SEC filings
Advised multiple clients on climate risk management and the enhancement of climate change disclosures
Advised energy sector clients on impacts under emerging climate and air regulations, including methane regulations from various federal agencies, greenhouse gas reporting requirements, and the Inflation Reduction Act
Advised clients on issues related to wetlands and the changes in regulations regarding Waters of the United States
Represented an energy company in defeating landowner and environmental challenges in federal court to construction of a pipeline under a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers nationwide permit
Represented national trade group as amicus in support of a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers nationwide permit used for construction, maintenance, repair, and removal of oil and natural gas pipelines
Advised multiple federal agencies, including EPA, the Departments of Interior, Defense, Energy, Agriculture, and Commerce on potential litigation risk related to new regulations and environmental assessments for energy and infrastructure permits and approvals
Assisted in the review and litigation strategy for the defense of the approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline in challenges brought by environmental groups and tribes under various environmental laws
Assisted in the review and litigation strategy for the defense of the approval of permits for the Dakota Access Pipeline in challenges brought by environmental groups and tribes under various environmental laws
Worked closely with the General Counsel’s offices of multiple federal agencies, including EPA, the Departments of Interior, Defense, Energy, Agriculture, and Commerce to assess and mitigate litigation risk while furthering policy goals
Worked with the General Counsel’s office of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on issues related to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
Represented LNG terminal and pipeline project in efforts to receive permits and authorizations, including before the FERC and NOAA
Served as a DOJ representative on the Energy Government Coordinating Council (EGCC), a group of federal agencies working to support the planning, implementation, and execution of timely and necessary sector-wide resilience and reliability programs for the Nation’s critical energy infrastructure
Represented multiple trade groups intervening in litigation over climate or environmental regulations
Assisted midstream client in understanding and commenting on proposed changes in FERC policies as well as tracking changes in case law and FERC policy related to climate considerations
Advised multiple national trade groups and individual companies on strategy for responding to proposed climate and environmental regulations including drafting and filing comment letters on proposed rules
Advised multiple clients on climate risk management and the enhancement of climate change disclosures
Advised energy sector clients on impacts under emerging climate and air regulations, including methane regulations from various federal agencies, greenhouse gas reporting requirements, and the Inflation Reduction Act
Represented a petroleum terminal in Clean Air Act enforcement case and air and water discharge permitting issues
Represented multiple clients in Clean Air Act enforcement case involving EPA or DOJ, including a refinery and a food packaging and distribution company
Brought suit on behalf of the U.S. Coast Guard against an oil and gas well owner and operator to recover costs incurred to removing leaking equipment under the Oil Pollution Act
Served as a member of the DOJ’s Corporate Enforcement & Accountability Working Group to review policies related to civil enforcement and criminal prosecution of corporations
Represented a mining company in negotiating an agreement and order with EPA and the Forest Service for remediation of historic contaminations and served as counsel in a Clean Water Act citizen suit related to the same historic conditions
Assisted in defending a former property owner in a case brought under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and state law to recover clean-up costs
Assisted the Department of Defense in tracking litigation, agency guidance, and Congressional actions to advise on litigation risks related to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)
Advised clients across multiple industries, including energy, mining, and food, as well as national trade group and members, on forthcoming PFAS developments including drafting and filing comment letters on proposed rules
Provided environmental and climate change due diligence on transactional matters for real estate transactions, as well as for the energy and manufacturing industries, including negotiating issues related to historic contamination
Assisted in advising potential investors in understanding how to limit the risk of environmental liability from their acquisitions
Advised clients on climate and environmental disclosures in SEC filings
Worked closely with the General Counsel’s offices of multiple federal agencies, including EPA, the Departments of Interior, Defense, Energy, Agriculture, and Commerce to assess and mitigate litigation risk while furthering policy goals
Served as a DOJ representative on the Energy Government Coordinating Council (EGCC), a group of federal agencies working to support the planning, implementation, and execution of timely and necessary sector-wide resilience and reliability programs for the Nation’s critical energy infrastructure
Successfully argued in defense of the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement’s approval of a coal mining permit under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
Successfully argued and briefed the defense of Forest Service’s ability to charge fees for the use of certain recreation lands in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
Successfully argued and briefed the defense of the Fish and Wildlife Service’s recovery plan for the Bull Trout in a challenge brought under the Administrative Procedure Act and Endangered Species Act (ESA) in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Successfully argued on behalf of the Department of the Interior in a suit involving Indian law issues in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Argued on behalf of a water utility group in support of EPA determination under the Safe Drinking Water Act in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
Obtained a stay pending appeal of an EPA regulation on behalf of a trade group in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
Defended the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) 2017 decision to repeal a prior federal rule regulating hydraulic fracturing on public land in challenges brought by environmental groups and the State of California in Federal District Court in Northern California
Defended the BLM’s approval of oil and gas drilling permits in a suit brought by environmental groups in Federal District Court in New Mexico challenging the agency’s National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) environmental analysis
Defended the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement’s approval of a modification to a coal mining plan to one of the largest coal mines in Colorado in a suit brought by environmental groups in Federal District Court in Colorado challenging the agency’s NEPA environmental analysis
Assisted in the defense of the BLM by taking more than a dozen depositions in multiple suits brought by the State of Utah and several counties regarding ownership and control over roads and rights of way on public land
Advised clients on issues related to wetlands and the changes in regulations regarding Waters of the United States
Represented an energy company in defeating landowner and environmental challenges in federal court to construction of a pipeline under a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers nationwide permit
Represented LNG terminal and pipeline project in efforts to receive permits and authorizations, including before the FERC and NOAA
Represented national trade group as amicus in support of a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers nationwide permit used for construction, maintenance, repair, and removal of oil and natural gas pipelines
Advised multiple federal agencies, including EPA, the Departments of Interior, Defense, Energy, Agriculture, and Commerce on potential litigation risk related to new regulations and environmental assessments for energy and infrastructure permits and approvals
Assisted in the review and litigation strategy for the defense of the approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline in challenges brought by environmental groups and tribes under various environmental laws
Assisted in the review and litigation strategy for the defense of the approval of permits for the Dakota Access Pipeline in challenges brought by environmental groups and tribes under various environmental laws
Credentials
- Harvard Law School, J.D., 2012 (Class Day Dean’s Award; Executive Editor, Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy; Senior Editor, Harvard Business Law Review)
- Vanderbilt University, B.A., History and Ancient Mediterranean Studies summa cum laude, 2009
- Counsel, Chief of Staff, and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice, Environment and Natural Resources Division, 2017–2020
- Senior Counsel, U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Associate Attorney General, 2018
- Counselor, U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General, 2019
- Associate, Vinson & Elkins LLP, Environmental and Natural Resources group 2012–2013, 2014–2017
- Law clerk to the Honorable Jennifer Walker Elrod, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, 2013–2014
- National Law Journal, D.C. Rising Star, 2024
- Law360, Rising Star, 2024
- Legal 500 U.S., Environment: Litigation, 2023 and 2024; Environmental: Transactional, 2024
- Expert Guides, “Rising Star” in Environment, 2022
- John Marshall Fellow, 2014
- District of Columbia
- New York
- Texas
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
- U.S. District Court, District of Colorado
- U.S. District Court, District of Columbia
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana
- U.S. District Court, District of New Mexico
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
- Rankings & AwardsAugust 26, 2024
- Deals & CasesAugust 21, 2024
- Deals & CasesJuly 30, 2024
- InsightJune 20, 2024
V&E Environmental Update
- Rankings & AwardsJune 12, 2024
- InsightMay 30, 2024
V&E Environmental Update
- InsightMay 28, 2024
V&E Environmental Update
- Deals & CasesMay 28, 2024
- DOE Issues Final Rule on Coordination of Federal Authorizations for Electric Transmission FacilitiesInsightMay 6, 2024
V&E Energy Update
- InsightMay 1, 2024
V&E Environmental Update
- InsightMarch 28, 2024
- Event RecapMarch 19, 2024
- Event RecapMarch 13, 2024
- InsightMarch 11, 2024
V&E Environmental Update
- InsightMarch 8, 2024
V&E Environmental Update
- InsightFebruary 8, 2024
V&E Environmental Update
- InsightNovember 22, 2023
V&E Energy Update
- Deals & CasesSeptember 22, 2023
- Event RecapSeptember 13, 2023
- InsightSeptember 6, 2023
V&E Environmental Update
- InsightAugust 16, 2023
V&E Energy Update
- InsightAugust 1, 2023
- InsightJuly 13, 2023
V&E Environmental Update
- Rankings & AwardsJune 12, 2023
- InsightMay 30, 2023
- InsightApril 17, 2023
- InsightApril 4, 2023
- InsightJanuary 26, 2023
- InsightJanuary 18, 2023
- InsightJanuary 10, 2023
- InsightNovember 23, 2022
V&E Environmental Update
- InsightOctober 11, 2022
V&E SEC Update
- Deals & CasesSeptember 22, 2022
- InsightSeptember 2, 2022
V&E Environmental Update
- InsightSeptember 2, 2022
- InsightAugust 17, 2022
- InsightMay 19, 2022
- InsightApril 20, 2022
- Deals & CasesApril 18, 2022
- Event RecapApril 8, 2022
- EPA Releases New Proposed Rule for Clean Water Act Hazardous Substance Worst Case Discharge PlanningInsightApril 6, 2022
- InsightApril 1, 2022
V&E Environmental Update
- InsightMarch 28, 2022
- InsightMarch 23, 2022
- March 9, 2022
- InsightFebruary 17, 2022
- InsightFebruary 15, 2022
V&E Environmental Update
- InsightJanuary 26, 2022
- InsightJanuary 26, 2022
- InsightJanuary 26, 2022
- InsightDecember 20, 2021
V&E Environmental Update
- InsightNovember 4, 2021
V&E Environmental Update
A version of this Insight was published by Law360 on November 17, 2021 - InsightSeptember 27, 2021
- Deals & CasesAugust 3, 2021
- InsightApril 30, 2021
- InsightApril 1, 2021
- InsightMarch 24, 2021
- Event RecapMarch 10, 2021
- InsightJanuary 13, 2021
- “EPA Sets The Stage For Expanded GHG Regulations,” Law360, October 6, 2016 (co-author)
- “New Methane Regulations,” Oil & Gas Financial Journal, September 2016 (co-author)
- “BLM Fracture Rule: Regulation Adds Layer Of Complexity,” The American Oil & Gas Reporter, April 2015 (co-author)
- “House Report May Taper Hopes For Clean Power Plan,” Law360, January 9, 2015 (co-author)
- “Existing Oil And Gas Sources Could Face More Methane Pain,”Law360, March 24, 2016 (co-author)
- “In the Wake of the Shale Revolution: A Primer on Hydraulic Fracturing Fluid Chemical Disclosure,” 8 Texas Journal of Oil, Gas, and Energy Law249 (2013) (co-author)
- “Texas’ Water Rights May Be Endangered,” Law360, August 19, 2013 (co-author)
- “The Endangered Species Act Flexes Its ‘Mussel’ over Hydraulic Fracturing Sites,” American Bar Association Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources Energy Infrastructure and Siting Committee Newsletter, July 2013 (co-author)
- “High Court Leaves Road Wide Open For CWA Citizen Suits,” Law360, April 12, 2013 (co-author)
- “More Regulatory Obstacles For Coal-Fired Power Plants,” Law360, March 27, 2013 (co-author)
News & Insights
V&E Environmental Update