Patrick D Traylor

Practice Areas

Companies around the world have turned to Patrick for almost twenty-five years to represent them in environmental enforcement cases and to conduct their most sensitive internal environmental compliance investigations. Most recently, Patrick was the Deputy Assistant Administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA), where he served as one of the highest-ranking environmental enforcement attorneys in the federal government.

During his tenure at the EPA, Patrick supervised the agency’s nationwide Clean Air Act (CAA) civil enforcement docket. He was also integrally involved in the development of every significant enforcement policy and represented OECA in reviewing all CAA regulations and guidance issued by the EPA. Patrick leverages this insight into the EPA’s CAA enforcement process to effectively and efficiently represent clients facing enforcement investigations and actions.

In addition to his litigation practice, companies in the energy sector have turned to Patrick to secure project-critical environmental approvals for the construction and expansion of tens of billions of dollars’ worth of projects at refineries, petrochemical and fertilizer plants, LNG export terminals, and coal- and gas-fired power plants.

In his environmental enforcement practice, Patrick’s clients value his thorough preparation, efficient case management, straight talk, an even temperament, and above all, a focus on his clients’ legal objectives to assist in accomplishing their business goals. His recent experience in the senior leadership of the EPA makes him a trusted advisor and effective advocate for companies that are facing the high stakes of complex environmental enforcement matters, particularly under the CAA. Patrick’s clients also value his team-based approach to integrating business, technical, and legal disciplines to develop effective and innovative permitting and project development strategies.

Prior to his service at the EPA, Patrick spent the first two decades of his legal career at a Global Top Ten law firm where clients relied on him to represent them in a variety of environmental enforcement cases, internal compliance investigations, and complex permitting matters.

With the combined experience of being one of the highest-ranking environmental enforcement attorneys in the federal government and over twenty years in private practice, Patrick has developed a unique skill set in the areas of civil environmental litigation, complex environmental permitting, and environmental enforcement investigations that makes him a trusted advisor to clients worldwide.

Personal

The George Washington University Law School, LL.M, Environmental Law, 1996

South Texas College of Law, J.D. (Member, South Texas Law Review), 1994

Texas A&M University, B.A., History, 1991