Robert "Bob" E.

Holden

Position: Partner
Office: New Orleans

Bob Holden is a partner in the Litigation Practice Group and is co-team leader of the firm’s environmental litigation team. He counsels clients on environmental regulatory compliance, enforcement actions, and related commercial litigation.

With his deep understanding of the law and decades of experience in the field, Bob assists clients in developing practical, compliance-oriented solutions to environmental and related legal challenges. Bob represents businesses in the energy, chemicals, manufacturing, and other industries with significant operations across the southeastern United States and in the Gulf of Mexico.

Bob leads the firm’s environmental litigation team. He regularly counsels clients on a broad range of environmental and regulatory requirements in relation to air (including Clean Air Act Title V, Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT), and New Source Review (NSR) Standards); wastewater (including the Louisiana Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (LPDES) and Gulf of Mexico General National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit programs); hazardous waste (with a particular focus on generator issues); and solid-waste (including permitting and closures). He also provides advice to OCS operators on Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) operational rules. Bob has represented numerous clients in enforcement proceedings before EPA headquarters, EPA Regions 6 and 8, and before the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ).

Among his representative matters, Bob currently represents a major chemical company on Clean Air Act and Louisiana air control matters related to the acquisition of a Louisiana neoprene plant, and on post-acquisition claims against the former owner. In 2010 to 2013, he led a firmwide team of attorneys on behalf of BP in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. He has in-depth experience with the Oil Pollution Act, similar state statutes, and Oil Spill Financial Responsibility requirements. He has also worked on major oil spills caused by Hurricane Katrina and other pipeline spills.

Among noteworthy engagements, Bob serves as lead industry counsel at the Combustion and Dutchtown Superfund sites. Bob had a lead role in preparing industry comments on the EPA's PVC MACT rulemaking in 2012. He served as lead environmental counsel for the permitting of chemical plants in St. James and Iberville Parishes and of a commercial hazardous waste incinerator located in St. Mary Parish. He also was lead environmental counsel of permitting under the Deep Water Port Act of the Freeport Main Pass Energy Hub in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

In his litigation practice, Bob represents natural resources, petrochemical, and industrial companies facing high-exposure environmental litigation, including environmental enforcement and regulatory matters, oil spills and oil-spill insurance claims, and energy litigation. Numerous international, national, and local corporations alike rely on his keen legal insights and network of industry and government contacts to provide effective responses to disputes that arise in relation to their operations in Louisiana and on the Outer Continental Shelf.