Sidley’s midstream oil and natural gas pipeline practice, which includes refined products, CO2, hydrogen, and other liquids and gas pipelines, represents public and private clients, such as major integrated oil companies, master limited partnerships, and private equity-backed portfolio companies, in a broad range of M&A, joint venture, capital markets, project development, project finance, and syndicated financing transactions.
Sidley lawyers have been actively representing pipeline companies in interstate and intrastate regulatory matters for over 30 years. This representation includes involvement in adjudication, rulemaking, formal and informal enforcement investigations, and related appellate matters. We represent new natural gas pipeline projects in obtaining Natural Gas Act certificate authority from FERC, including the related environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act, as well as satisfying all other federal and state permitting requirements. In connection with the development of pipeline projects, we also advise clients with respect to the associated commercial arrangements with shippers and lenders.
Our clients include major petroleum products pipelines, as well as those which transport liquefied gases such as propane, in the lower 48 U.S. states, and a major owner of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System. Our representation includes oil pipelines under various forms of ownership — including pipelines affiliated with the major oil companies, joint stock companies owned by multiple investors, undivided joint interest systems, and independent pipelines.
Clients also consistently turn to Sidley lawyers for representation in a range of FERC enforcement matters, a result of the enhanced enforcement and penalty authority granted by Congress in the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Our clients in such matters have covered a broad spectrum, ranging from a closely held (private) energy producer/marketer to a major financial services firm engaged in energy transactions.
