R.J. Colwell
Biography
Overview
R.J. advises stakeholders actively engaging or investing in the energy industry, with a particular focus on the midstream sector (natural gas, crude oil, liquids, biomethane, hydrogen, water, and CO2 pipelines; related processing, treatment, storage, and sequestration assets; and LNG and import/export facilities). He represents clients on a wide range of domestic and international transactions (mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, project finance, and commercial and operational matters) that span the energy industry, as well as related markets for carbon credits and other environmental attributes.
R.J. also counsels clients regarding compliance with applicable Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and other regulatory tariffs, regulations, orders, policy statements, and standards of conduct, including drafting compliance plans, conducting compliance trainings, and addressing any non-compliance events. R.J. also drafts and prepares regulatory applications in support of obtaining federal and state authorizations for projects and transactions involving natural gas, LNG, crude oil, liquids, and power commodities and assets. He has also represented pipeline companies, liquefied natural gas exporters, storage operators, shippers, and owners of electric generation in administrative litigation before FERC, in FERC enforcement investigations, and in tariff and ratemaking proceedings before FERC and the Texas Railroad Commission.
R.J. serves as co-chair of the Firm's global Midstream strategic specialty area, and is also currently the Vice President (and President-elect) of the Energy Bar Association's Texas chapter.
Prior to entering private practice, R.J. served as an Honors Attorney and then as an Attorney-Adviser at the Department of Energy in Washington, D.C. As an Honors Attorney, R.J. received the Secretary's Achievement Award for his work on enforcing energy efficiency standards. As an Attorney-Adviser, R.J. provided legal counsel to the Office of Fossil Energy on a broad array of transactional, operation, regulatory, and policy issues and matters, with a specific focus on regulating natural gas and LNG imports and exports and advising DOE senior leadership on Strategic Petroleum Reserve and other energy security matters.
Before attending law school, R.J. served in the U.S. Army as a Field Artillery Officer, attaining the rank of Captain in three years. During his military service, R.J. deployed to Iraq and received several prestigious decorations, including the Bronze Star medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, and the Combat Action Badge.
R.J. is actively involved in a number of national and local veterans organizations and initiatives, including the Houston Bar Association's Military and Veterans Committee as well as the Veteran Leadership Development Group.
Experience
Representation of major energy company in its disposition of offshore and midstream oil and gas assets in California.
Representation of major energy company in its negotiation of various commercial agreements related to CO2 capture, transportation, and sequestration, including offtake and marketing of related environmental attributes.
Representation of major energy company in its negotiation of a zero-emission solar power purchase agreement, shared facilities agreement, and ground lease in support of developing its first large-scale direct air capture plant in Texas.
Representation of major oil and natural gas producer in its $3 billion acquisition of natural gas assets in the Eagle Ford Basin.
Representation of major oil and natural gas producer in its negotiation of produced and recycled water midstream services agreements in connection with its formation of a midstream partnership in the Permian Basin with a major midstream water management company.
Representation of major independent power producer in its acquisition of two power generation facilities.
Representation of major renewable energy company in its acquisition of a 1,633 megawatt thermal power portfolio in New England from an infrastructure-focused investment firm.
Representation of Korean infrastructure investment firm in connection with $50 million incremental credit facility to U.S-based independent midstream company.
Representation of major energy company in connection with its settlement of a multi-billion dollar arbitration with a major natural gas liquids midstream company.
Representation of independent natural gas and oil company in more than 400 proceedings before FERC involving rate and non-rate tariff filings by interstate pipeline companies.*
* Matters prior to joining White & Case
Rumble in the Regulatory Jungle – Rockefeller v. Hart: A Comparison of the NGA and ICA, Energy Bar Association (February 3, 2021)
"Pivot Potential: A Deep Dive into Offshore Wind in the Gulf of Mexico," LexisNexis Pratt's Energy Law Report, October 2022 (co-author)
FERC Overhauls Review of Natural Gas Infrastructure Projects, White & Case LLP Client Alert (Feb. 28, 2022)
Where 'Shale' We Go From Here: Opportunities and Challenges in Shale Plays Located Outside the USA, Journal of World Energy Law & Business (Oxford University Press) (June 14, 2017) [10 J. World Energy L. & Bus. 159 (2017)]
