Former U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Chief Counsel Robert M. Andersen Joins Clark Hill PLC Washington DC

WASHINGTON, DC

– Attorney Robert M. Andersen has joined the Washington DC office of Clark Hill PLC as the leader of the firm’s Environment, Energy, and Natural Resources Group (EENR). Andersen previously served as Chief Counsel to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Andersen has also held senior posts with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the National Science Foundation, and the Defense Nuclear Facility Safety Board.

“We are pleased to announce that Rob Andersen has joined our Washington DC team,” said Charlie Spies, managing member of Clark Hill’s Washington DC office. “He has an impressive track record of success in both the public and private sector, and his significant experience handling specialized environmental issues – particularly as they relate to the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act – will undoubtedly bring value to our client base. Rob is the third major addition to the EENR group in 2011, as Ken von Schaumburg and John Sheehan recently joined the group in our DC Office. We welcome him and look forward to his contributions to our growing Environment, Energy, and Natural Resources Group.”

While in private practice for the past eight years, Andersen assisted corporate and public sector clients by providing environmental and energy legal services, including representation in litigation. Immediately prior to that, he served as the Chief Counsel to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and in addition to overseeing legal activities globally, he served as legal advisor to first Corps responders in New York and at the Pentagon following the terrorist attacks of 9/11, after visiting both sites within days of the attack.

Andersen also served as Deputy Regional Counsel to EPA Region V, Deputy General Counsel to the National Science Foundation, and Senior U.S. Representative in Antarctica. As the Senior U.S. Representative in Antarctica, he was credited by Presidents Bush and Clinton with preserving United States science and engineering research opportunities on the continent after environmental groups attempted to halt U.S. operations. Andersen developed pollution control measures, including an oils spill prevention plan, a cradle-to-grave waste management program, and a natural resources preservation plan for Antarctica that were approved by NSF and the President, funded by Congress, and implemented on the ice. He was twice named a Special Assistant to the United States Attorney General to independently litigate cases involving environmental and national security issues.

Andersen is a former member of the Advisory Council to the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and is an adjunct professor at George Washington University, where he teaches graduate level courses on Engineering Law, Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Policy, Hazardous Waste Management, and Nuclear Waste Management. He has authored several books on environmental topics, including his most recent publication, which provides guidance for those wishing to obtain funding, licenses, and permits for offshore research and renewable energy projects.