Annie Cook

As co-leader of Bracewell’s dedicated Pipeline and LNG Safety Practice, Annie Cook has represented oil and gas pipeline, terminal, storage, and LNG clients across the US for nearly 20 years on traditional and renewable energy, transportation, and safety-related legal matters at federal, state and local levels. Annie and her team regularly advise on pipeline regulatory compliance and some of the highest profile enforcement defense matters before the Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) and corollary state regulators. She thoughtfully assists clients with pipeline safety issues across the oil and gas value chain, including strategic project planning, construction, operations, maintenance, incident response, and physical and cybersecurity issues.

In particular, Annie excels at identifying creative tactical approaches to resolving complex regulatory issues and uniquely understands the historical and highly technical issues that inform the regulatory framework. Toward this end, Annie routinely assists clients with regulatory advocacy and approvals, including obtaining special permits and state waivers. Annie and her team regularly counsel clients on litigation strategy, including preemption considerations as well as successful challenges to administrative agency actions at the agency and the federal appellate level. See ExxonMobil Pipeline Co. v. United States DOT, 867 F.3d 564 (5th Cir. 2017).

In light of the depth and breadth of her work on pipeline safety issues across the industry, Annie also advises clients on legislative and regulatory rulemaking advocacy at the federal and state levels. The team frequently assists operators with accident and incident response as well as high-profile accident investigations involving multiple agencies, including the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).  Relatedly, Annie and her team also manage confidential investigations and compliance audits, including advising clients navigating investigations led by the Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General.

Energy Bar Association; American Bar Association (Section of Environment, Energy and Resources; Section of Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice); DC Bar Association; Georgia Bar Association; Women’s Energy Network

Emory University School of Law, J.D., 2008 (with honors); Kenyon College, B.A., 2003 (magna cum laude; Phi Beta Kappa)