Jim T. Banks
Partner Global Regulatory
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Overview
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Experience
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Credentials
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Insights and events
Chambers USA 2015"Jim Banks is described by sources as 'very knowledgeable, thorough, and with vast experience,' as well as 'a delight to deal with.'"
From the boardroom to the courtroom, Jim Banks takes on the toughest environmental and legal challenges. Always in a leadership role, Jim has spearheaded the advocacy efforts of a national environmental organization, directed the legal and regulatory affairs of a major corporation, and led the global Environmental practice at Hogan Lovells.
Jim is recognized for his in-depth knowledge of the Clean Water Act (CWA). Jim's combination of legal experience and engineering training enables him to help clients develop practical and imaginative solutions to their biggest problems. Clients also seek Jim's guidance and representation in regulatory, permitting, and litigation challenges involving endangered species and National Environmental Policy Act matters.
Jim serves clients in the oil and gas, mining, agriculture, manufacturing, and waste management sectors and has represented states and cities in high-stakes litigation over the use of river flows. Jim challenges the EPA's regulations and enforcement orders, the Fish and Wildlife Service's listing of threatened and endangered species, and the Office of Surface Mining's regulation of coal mines. When agencies bring enforcement actions or environmental groups file citizen suits, Jim develops creative legal and technical defenses to resolve them.
Jim also guides clients through complex permitting processes for large development projects. As licensing counsel for large mining operations, crude oil facilities, liquefied natural gas terminals and carbon sequestration injection projects, Jim provides the vision and strategy to secure agency approvals and withstand judicial challenges.
Chambers USA 2015"Jim Banks is described by sources as 'very knowledgeable, thorough, and with vast experience,' as well as 'a delight to deal with.'"
Representative experience
Represented a large poultry producer in a rare federal court decision overturning an EPA enforcement order under the CWA.
Secured an unprecedented federal court decision invalidating an Interior Department decision to list a species as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
Guiding the federal and state permitting efforts for three liquefied natural gas terminals and two crude oil terminals under the Deepwater Port Act of 1974 in the Gulf of Mexico region.
Represented JX Nippon in the Petra Nova project, the world's largest carbon capture and storage facility, in environmental monitoring and efforts to secure and monetize the related 45Q tax credits.
Representing the Los Alamos National Lab in defending its CWA NPDES permit and resolving storm water permit issues for hundreds of contaminated sites left by the Manhattan Project in New Mexico.
Represented a large electric transmission company in defeating federal court efforts to invalidate NEPA documentation and permit approvals for installing undersea transmission cables.
Credentials
- J.D., University of Michigan Law School, 1975
- B.S. Civil Engineering, University of Kansas, 1972
- District of Columbia
- U.S. Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
- U.S. Supreme Court