Sr Counsel - Litigation

Position Overview

The Senior Counsel, Litigation serves as the company’s lead attorney for all litigation and dispute-related matters across the company’s asset portfolio. This role provides strategic legal guidance to protect the company’s interests in complex commercial disputes, operational incidents, environmental claims, land and ROW conflicts, construction matters, and regulatory enforcement actions. The Senior Counsel partners closely with Operations, Commercial, Land, EH&S, Engineering, and Executive Leadership to proactively manage risk, resolve disputes efficiently, and ensure compliance with federal and state laws governing midstream operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Litigation Strategy & Case Management
• Lead all aspects of litigation, arbitration, and administrative proceedings involving the company, including case assessment, strategy development, budgeting, and oversight of outside counsel.
• Manage a diverse docket including commercial disputes, construction claims, environmental enforcement, personal injury, property damage, ROW and eminent domain matters, and regulatory challenges.
• Direct discovery strategy, including document preservation, e-discovery, witness preparation, and expert engagement.
• Evaluate settlement opportunities and negotiate resolutions that protect the company’s financial and operational interests.
• Operational & Regulatory Support
• Advise Operations, EH&S, and Engineering on incident response, spill events, pipeline integrity matters, and regulatory investigations.
• Support internal investigations related to operational events, safety issues, or compliance concerns.
• Interface with federal and state agencies (e.g., PHMSA, FERC, EPA, state environmental agencies) on enforcement actions, notices of violation, and compliance matters.
• Provide legal guidance on pipeline safety regulations, environmental statutes, and operational risk mitigation.
• Commercial & Contractual Disputes
• Advises Commercial teams on contract interpretation, performance disputes, indemnity issues, and risk allocation.
• Supports resolution of disputes involving shippers, suppliers, contractors, and JV partners.
• Drafts and negotiates settlement agreements, tolling agreements, and dispute-related contract amendments.
• Risk Management & Governance
• Develops and implements litigation management processes, reporting, and metrics for executive leadership.
• Provides training to internal teams on litigation readiness, document retention, and risk mitigation.
• Advise on insurance coverage, claims strategy, and coordination with insurers.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school; active license in at least one U.S. jurisdiction, preferably at least Texas.
• 6+ years of litigation experience, preferably with a mix of law firm and in-house roles.
• Strong background in energy, midstream, oil & gas, or heavy industrial litigation.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex, high-value litigation and arbitration matters.
• Familiarity with pipeline safety regulations, environmental statutes, and commercial contracts common in midstream operations.
• Excellent judgment, negotiation skills, and ability to influence senior leaders.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, operationally driven environment with competing priorities.

Preferred Experience

• Prior in-house experience in oil and gas cases including (upstream, midstream, and downstream, complex commercial litigation, mediation and arbitration matters, managing all phases.
• Experience with PHMSA, FERC, EPA, and state environmental agencies.
• Experience in complex commercial litigation and intellectual property litigation
• Experience managing outside counsel and litigation budgets.

Competencies

• Strategic legal thinking with strong business acumen
• Exceptional communication and executive-level presence
• Risk-based decision-making
• Crisis management and calm under pressure
• Collaborative, solutions-oriented approach
• Strong negotiation and conflict-resolution skills

An equal opportunity employer/disability/vet

Energy Transfer is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against qualified applicants on the basis of any actual or perceived legally protected characteristics under federal, state, or local law.