Aileen Hooks has extensive experience advising clients on negotiating and managing the environmental and facilities-related aspects of their projects, transactions and commercial agreements, including international as well as domestic operations, and on preventing and responding to environmental crises . In particular, Ms. Hooks has considerable experience advising clients on environmental and safety issues and liability considerations affecting the upstream, midstream and downstream energy industry sectors. She also regularly provides legal counsel to clients on regulatory, permitting and enforcement matters relating to environmental, health and safety issues and on environmental disclosures for SEC filings. She has worked on transactions and agreements involving upstream oil and gas assets, refineries, pipelines and terminals, wind projects, ethanol plants and nuclear power plants as well as the chemical, paper and semiconductor industries. Additionally, her experience includes pipeline safety, fuels regulation, site and vessel decommissioning and contaminated site issues.
Drawing from her background as a real estate and finance lawyer early in her career, Ms. Hooks has developed extensive experience navigating complex and sensitive contract negotiations. She also has extensive experience performing and evaluating environmental, health and safety site assessments and compliance audits, and analyzing and resolving environmental liability concerns. She has helped clients in a variety of industries design and implement audit and compliance programs and policies related to environmental, health and safety matters.
Ms. Hooks’ environmental practice also encompasses sustainability and climate change issues. She is active in the United States Business Council for Sustainable Development. On a pro bono basis, she worked on the drafting and negotiation of a memorandum of understanding between the Council and the U.S. EPA on Scientific and Technical Cooperation in the Fields of Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development.
