In today’s environment, critical minerals — including those essential to energy transition technologies, advanced manufacturing, defense, and infrastructure — are central to national security and economic competitiveness. Clark Hill advises domestic and international mining companies, critical mineral developers, investors, joint ventures, and industry associations on navigating the increasingly complex regulatory landscape surrounding extraction, processing, and supply chain development.
Our team regularly handles a broad range of matters for companies in the hardrock, critical minerals, rare earth elements, battery minerals, precious metals, coal, uranium, oil, and gas sectors. We provide counsel on corporate structuring, project development, permitting, regulatory compliance, enforcement defense, litigation of agency decisions, transactions, and strategic government engagement.
Clark Hill attorneys are regularly present before federal and state agencies, Congress, and state legislatures, ensuring that policymakers understand the operational realities and strategic importance of mining and critical mineral development. We assist clients in shaping regulatory and legislative initiatives affecting mineral access, permitting reform, environmental compliance, land use, and water rights.
With attorneys who have held senior roles at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the U.S. Department of Justice, Natural Resources Division, we understand regulatory enforcement priorities and administrative processes from both the agency and industry perspectives. We are highly experienced in defending agency decisions and permits against challenges brought by non-government organizations under major federal environmental statutes.
Clark Hill’s Mining & Critical Minerals team draws on the firm’s Environmental; Energy; Natural Resources; Corporate; Construction; Litigation; Appellate; and Government Relations practices. This multidisciplinary approach allows us to provide coordinated, industry-focused counsel that addresses the regulatory, commercial, and political dimensions of resource development.
We represent large international and domestic mining and critical mineral companies, operators, developers, joint ventures, prospective purchasers, manufacturers and distributors of mining equipment and consumables, processors, and national and state industry associations.
Representative Services
- Federal and state permitting for hardrock, critical mineral, coal, and uranium mining projects
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers jurisdictional determinations and Section 404/10 permits
- National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance and administrative record development
- National Historic Preservation Act Section 106 review and tribal consultation
- Endangered Species Act compliance and consultation strategy
- Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act compliance and defense
- Defense of NGO challenges to permits and regulatory approvals
- Regulatory compliance counseling and enforcement defense
- Advising on the Toxic Substances Control Act and the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act
- Management of contaminated facilities under state and federal remediation and natural resource damage laws
- Drafting regulatory strategies for domestic and international mining and critical mineral companies
- Negotiating mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and strategic investments
- Complex environmental and operational due diligence
- Mineral title examinations and land access strategy
- Water rights strategy and permitting
- Government relations and lobbying on permitting reform, mineral policy, CERCLA, Clean Air Act, and Clean Water Act amendments
- Counseling on political law compliance and public policy engagement
Clark Hill helps mining and critical mineral clients advance projects that are essential to infrastructure development, clean energy deployment, advanced manufacturing, and national security — while managing regulatory risk, litigation exposure, and evolving public policy dynamics.
