PETER WHITFIELD assists his clients with environmental issues during project development and operation. He helps companies navigate citizen suits, enforcement actions, regulatory proceedings, and challenges to their environmental clearances. Peter also handles a variety of administrative litigation matters on behalf of clients. With over a decade of experience, Peter has extensive knowledge of the Clean Air Act, National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, National Historic Preservation Act, Administrative Procedure Act, and numerous other federal and state laws. Peter’s NEPA practice is distinguished as he has represented clients on projects that are onshore, offshore, transboundary, and even in space.
Peter’s practice also focuses heavily on conventional and renewable fuels regulation. He assists clients with regulatory compliance, transactional advice, advocacy, and litigation under the Renewable Fuel Standard and other fuel regulatory programs. Peter is ranked in Chambers USA for Environmental and was rated by Super Lawyers in 2020 following listings as a Rising Star in its 2014–2017 editions.
Peter’s recent experience includes:
- Representing an offshore renewable energy client with regulatory issues and litigation under the APA, NEPA, ESA, MMPA, and OCSLA.
- Representing petroleum refiners in litigation involving issues under the Renewable Fuel Standard before the DC Circuit, 10th Circuit, and US Supreme Court.
- Assisting petroleum refiner clients with compliance issues and regulatory advocacy under the Renewable Fuel Standard and other fuels regulations.
- Representing an energy infrastructure client in litigation challenging the permitting and environmental review of a transboundary pipeline project. The litigation involved legal issues arising under the APA, NEPA, ESA, and Clean Water Act.
- Representing a foreign country with regulatory issues under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
- Assisting satellite industry client with environmental review issues for projects requiring FCC approval.
- Assisting railroad industry clients with NEPA review issues before the FRA and STB.
- Representing clients with NEPA review issues for projects receiving federal funding from the Department of Energy.
Prior to joining Sidley, Peter was an environmental lawyer at a large international law firm where he represented clients in the steel, energy, natural resource, and agricultural industries. He also gained significant litigation experience in his role as a trial attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Natural Resources Section, winning the department’s Outstanding Performance Award in 2010.