The Legal Intelligencer
Pittsburgh-based Babst Calland has opened an office in Washington, D.C., the firm announced Monday, bringing a new niche to its energy and natural resources practice.
Babst Calland is bringing on two attorneys as shareholders in the new office. James Curry and Keith Coyle have focused their practices on pipeline safety and hazardous materials transportation, according to the firm.
Both attorneys come from Van Ness Feldman, a Washington-based law firm with practices in energy, environment, real estate and land use, and government relations and policy. They both previously represented the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, a federal agency that oversees gas and hazardous liquids pipelines.
Between stints in the public sector and at Van Ness, Coyle worked in Babst Calland’s Pittsburgh office. Pipeline and hazardous-materials transportation is a subarea of energy law where many of Babst Calland’s existing clients need service, said managing shareholder Chester R. Babst. Previously, his firm had referred much of that work to Van Ness because of the connection to Coyle. About a year ago, Coyle started speaking with Babst about returning to his former firm. “This gives us an area where we felt there was a terrific need and it’s not a need that’s being serviced by any of our competitors in the Appalachian Basin,” Babst said.
Curry estimated that nationwide, about 15 attorneys in the private sector have experience in pipeline and hazardous-materials work. Hiring outside counsel for that service has become more common among energy companies, he said.
“I think that recent significant accidents have sort of sensitized general counsel and company CEOs to the issue that this is a risk area,” Curry said.
Coyle said he sees the move for Babst Calland as a step toward becoming more of a national firm.
“There’s a lot of benefit to being located in D.C., working with the regulators, knowing what’s going on in D.C. … This is kind of where the action is, at least on this particular federal regulatory program,” Coyle said. And for the two Washington attorneys, Coyle added, joining Babst Calland provides a link to a firm that has “actual boots-on-the ground experience” in other regions.
Sean W. Moran, chair of the oil and gas practice group at Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, said it’s important for this specialty to be integrated into other areas of the practice. His firm also offers pipeline safety services through attorneys who worked with regulatory agencies.
“Historically, it would have been a relatively small niche practice where you would have only seen people in places where the regulatory agencies existed, like Washington, D.C., state capitals,” Moran said. “It’s an area you would expect to continue to grow as natural gas plays a larger and larger role in the industry” and as the pipeline infrastructure grows.
Babst said Curry and Coyle will bring many of their existing clients with them. He said he expects to hire up to five more attorneys in the near future in the new office to handle new pipeline and hazardous-materials clients.
“They both come over to the firm with a pretty full plate of business of their own,” Babst said. “We consider this to be both advantageous from the standpoint of the direct work they will bring, but it’s also … keeping our firm in the view of our clients as being someone who can handle their various problems, no matter what they are.”
While some energy law practices have suffered thanks to price declines, Babst said his firm actually came out ahead in 2015 compared to 2014. He said the broad number of energy and environmental services the firm offers has helped.
“If the economy goes down they don’t stop enforcing environmental regulations,” he said. “Pipeline safety is the same thing.”
The firm officially opened the Washington location Monday.
Babst Calland has more than 135 attorneys in six offices. In addition to Pittsburgh, Washington and State College, it has offices in New Jersey, Ohio and West Virginia.
*Reprinted with permission from the 1/25/16 issue of The Legal Intelligencer. © 2016 ALM Media Properties, LLC. Further duplication without permission is prohibited. All rights reserved.
