Phillip Oldham focuses his practice on energy and energy-related project development, acquisitions, infrastructure development and transactions, federal and state regulatory and administrative law, and administrative litigation. He has specific expertise regarding energy projects, energy markets, petrochemical projects and related transactions. Phillip’s in-depth knowledge of regulatory and market issues across various industries makes him uniquely able to provide his clients with practical solutions to a host of legal issues.
Phillip is described by sources as being “tenacious in pursuit of his clients' interests,” and he is “highly regarded for his work on administrative and regulatory matters pertaining to large oil and gas projects.” – Chambers USA 2020
Before joining O’Melveny, Phillip was a partner at a leading Texas law firm.
Energy Markets and Transactions
- Assists clients in navigating complex legal issues related to energy markets, including wholesale and retail electricity, natural gas, crude oil, and other energy commodity markets
- Assists clients on a host of energy transactions, including asset acquisitions and commodity transactions
- Provides strategic counseling to many Fortune 500 companies on energy market issues and strategies
Energy Regulatory
- Assists clients in navigating the complex regulations applicable to the production, sale, and delivery of energy commodities, including electricity, oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids
- Assists clients in managing regulatory risk and regulatory compliance issues
- Represents several well-established trade associations on matters involving energy regulations and policy
Project Development and Transactions
- Assists clients with all aspects of the development of large infrastructure projects, including pipeline projects, chemical manufacturing facilities, electric generation facilities, petrochemical facilities, gas processing facilities, carbon dioxide and carbon capture facilities, natural gas liquid fractionation facilities, LNG facilities, and electric transmission facilities
- Assists clients on a multitude of transactions, including the purchase and sale of chemical manufacturing facilities, upstream oil and gas production, electric generation facilities, petrochemical facilities, gas processing facilities, carbon dioxide facilities, liquefied natural gas facilities, electric transmission facilities, hydrocarbon and chemical pipeline facilities, and a host of other transactions
Administrative Law and Litigation
- Assists clients on numerous matters before state and federal agencies
- Assists clients on significant issues involving litigation, policy decisions, and rulemakings before regulatory agencies such as the Public Utility Commission of Texas, the Texas Railroad Commission, the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission, the Kansas Corporations Commission, the Louisiana Public Service Commission, the Mississippi Public Service Commission, the Comptroller of the State of Texas, the Texas Racing Commission, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the Texas Reliability Entity, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and the North American Electric Reliability Corporation
- Assists clients on electric generation issues, electric transmission and transmission routing issues, utility rate cases and rate proposal matters, pipeline matters, gas storage matters, tax matters, and contested compliance and enforcement matters
Government Affairs
- Assists clients in obtaining favorable legislative outcomes on a variety of issues, including electricity, oil and gas issues, biofuels, tax, environmental regulations, and gaming
- Assists clients in all aspects of the legislative process, including legislative strategy, negotiations, bill drafting, lobbying, coalition management, grassroots strategies, and legislative monitoring
Admissions
Bar Admissions
- Texas
- New Mexico
Court Admissions
- US Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
Education
- University of Chicago, J.D., 1995, with honors: Editor, University of Chicago Law Review
- The University of Texas at Austin, B.A., 1992, with honors
Honors & Awards
- Recognized by Best Lawyers in America® as Litigation – Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, and Energy) “Lawyer of the Year” in Austin (2024)
- Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® in Utilities Law (2023)
- Recommended by The Legal 500 US for Energy Regulation: Electric Power (2023); and Project Finance (2023)
- Austin Administrative / Regulatory Law Lawyer of the Year, The Best Lawyers in America, 2021
- Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® for Administrative/Regulatory Law, Energy Law, Energy Regulatory Law, and Litigation - Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy), 2006-2024
- Chambers USA (Energy: State Regulatory & Litigation (Electricity)), 2011-2020, 2023
- Recognized Attorney, The Legal 500 US Industry Focus: Energy: Regulatory, Industry Focus: Energy: Litigation; Industry Focus: Energy Regulation – Conventional Power (2013-2020); Energy: Renewable/Alternative Power (2022)
- Texas Super Lawyers (Administrative Law), 2019-2020; (Energy & Natural Resources), 2023
Professional Activities
Clerkships
- The Honorable Emilio M. Garza, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals (1995-1996)
Member
- Travis County Bar Association
- American Bar Association
Presenter
- “Legislative Review Panel,” 2023 Gas and Power Institute (October 2023)
- “ERCOT New Market Design and Renewable Energy: Where Are We Headed?” 2nd Conference on Renewable Project Development (April 2023)
- “Texas and Germany: Energy Twins?” UT Energy Institute Symposium (September 2014)
- “Got to Regulate: Too Much, Too Little or Just Right,” Gulf Coast Power Association (GCPA) 28th Annual Spring Conference (April 2014)
- “Recent Developments in Electricity: An Industrial Consumer Perspective,” Gulf Coast Power Association (GCPA) Austin Luncheon (July 2013)
Publications
- “Lighting the Lone Star: The Texas Experience with a Competitive Electricity Market,” Wake Forest Law Review (2005)
Related Practices
Related Industries