Steptoe is pleased to announce the latest expansion of its energy and transportation practices with the addition of Bizunesh “Biz” Scott, a Special Assistant to the President of the United States. Ms. Scott previously served as chief (general) counsel for the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), the Department of Transportation body responsible for establishing and enforcing pipeline and hazardous materials safety laws. She joins the firm as a partner and will reside in Steptoe’s Washington office.
As chief counsel for PHMSA, Ms. Scott served as one of the top enforcers of US pipeline safety and hazardous materials transportation laws by finalizing orders for civil penalties, compliance, and corrective actions. During her tenure, Ms. Scott managed the administration’s response to a significant oil spill in Marshall, Michigan and advised on other incidents including the gas pipeline failures in San Bruno, California and Allentown, Pennsylvania. She also managed the negotiation of the largest civil penalty in PHMSA’s history involving the Department of Justice, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and a major pipeline company. Ms. Scott implemented PHMSA’s regulatory agenda, including new rules for the enforcement of hazardous materials transportation safety regulations, and the design, construction, testing, maintenance, and operation of gas and hazardous liquid pipelines. On the legislative front, Ms. Scott drafted and negotiated significant portions of the landmark pipeline safety legislation signed into law by President Obama in January 2012 that will make sweeping changes to the nation’s federal and state pipeline safety programs.
Following her tenure at PHMSA, Ms. Scott was appointed by President Obama to serve as a Special Assistant to the President. As a commissioned officer, she advised the president and Cabinet secretaries on presidential and Senate-confirmed appointments, including key administration posts at the departments of Energy, Transportation, Interior, and Agriculture, the EPA, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the Chemical Safety Board, and the National Transportation Safety Board.
“Biz’s extensive experience at PHMSA and at the White House, where she developed an insider’s understanding of the inspection, investigation, and enforcement policies, procedures, and strategy of the main federal regulator of pipeline and transportation safety, as well as her experience with regulatory compliance and enforcement, crisis management, and accident investigations will further strengthen our energy and transportation practices,” said Roger Warin, chair of Steptoe. “Her arrival, along with that of former FERC Commissioner Marc Spitzer who joined the firm in January, will continue the expansion of our energy practice to provide regulatory, policy, and transactional advice to clients both in the liquid petroleum and natural gas industries.”
In joining Steptoe’s energy practice, Ms. Scott will focus on pipeline issues. Steptoe’s pipeline practice has been one of the nation’s leading practices in the field of pipeline regulation for more than three decades. In the 2012 edition of Chambers USA, the editors note that Steptoe’s “outstanding capabilities in oil pipeline regulation put the firm at the forefront of the industry.” Steptoe’s pipeline clients include some of North America’s largest owners of crude oil lines, such as ConocoPhillips, Sunoco and Enbridge (the largest pipeline company in Canada); Colonial Pipeline, the largest refined products pipeline in the United States; and Enterprise, the largest owner of natural gas liquids (NGLs) pipelines in the US. The firm’s pipeline lawyers have been involved in almost every phase of litigation surrounding the development and operation of the Trans Alaska Pipeline System. They have also represented most of the larger crude oil, refined products, and NGL pipeline systems in the lower-48 states and have been at the forefront of litigation regarding FERC jurisdiction over pipelines on the Outer Continental Shelf.
Steptoe also has a nationally recognized rail transportation practice. Steptoe is a leading firm in virtually every major area of rail litigation and regulatory activity, and the firm’s experience in high-profile cases has given Steptoe lawyers a thorough understanding of the complex and evolving issues in rail transportation law. Firm lawyers are experienced in rail safety and security matters overseen by PHMSA and the Federal Railroad Administration, and advise clients in these areas. The firm represents one of the largest railroads in the nation, BNSF Railway Company, and the Association of American Railroads, among other rail and non-rail transportation clients.
“Steptoe has premier pipeline and transportation practices that represent many of the largest crude oil, refined petroleum products pipeline, and railroad systems in the US and Canada,” said Ms. Scott. “I am particularly looking forward to working with the team in guiding the firm’s energy and transportation clients through the recent changes in the regulatory climate and the challenges they face. I am also looking forward to assisting the firm on litigation matters.”
Before joining PHMSA, Ms. Scott was general counsel and secretary at Golfsmith International Holdings, Inc. Previously, she was a lawyer in private practice where she focused on litigation and gained extensive experience in the defense of government investigations by the SEC, CFTC, and DOJ, and argued matters before trial and appellate courts, and administrative bodies.
In 2010, the National Bar Association named Ms. Scott to its “Nation’s Best Advocates: 40 Lawyers Under 40” list. She was also profiled as one of The Root’s list of “100 Young Achievers and Pace Setters.”
Ms. Scott, who clerked for US District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan of the District of Columbia, earned her law degree from the University of Michigan, and a B.A. from Marquette University.
