John H. Burnes

Member

John Burnes specializes in energy and regulatory litigation, permitting, and counseling in natural gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) project development matters. He represents clients before various federal and state regulatory agencies — including the U.S. Department of Energy and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) — as well as before federal and state courts. His practice before FERC involves rate and certificate proceedings, such as pipeline construction and LNG import/export projects, and the litigation and negotiation of complaint and regulatory enforcement matters. He also has extensive experience in appellate litigation before the U.S. Courts of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Mr. Burnes counsels clients on the numerous federal, state, and local requirements for energy project development — including the Natural Gas Act, as amended by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005), the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) — and assists in coordinating and streamlining the complex permitting process. He provides legal advice to clients involved in a variety of energy infrastructure construction projects, such as the siting, construction, and development of LNG import terminals and natural gas pipeline, gathering, and local distribution systems.

Government Service

Attorney, Appellate Section, Criminal Division, U.S. Department of Justice, 1976-1978

Staff Attorney, Office of the Solicitor, Federal Power Commission, 1972-1976

Professional and Civic Affiliations

• American Bar Association
• Energy Bar Association

Publications

"Developing the U.S. LNG Market" (Julia Richardson, co-author), Oxford Energy Forum, Fall 2004.

"FERC Sets it Straight on LNG, The Sound Energy Solutions Declaratory Order” (Julia Richardson, co-author), Public Utilities Fortnightly, May 2004

Articles

• LNG: FERC Asserts Control