WASHINGTON -- Brian Stansbury, a highly-regarded environmental attorney and former Deputy General Counsel for the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), has joined Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP as a partner in Washington.
As a member of the firm’s nationally recognized environmental practice, Stansbury provides clients in the transportation, manufacturing, financial services and other sectors with crisis management and environmental compliance and regulatory counseling, including enforcement defense work and associated litigation.
He advises on a range of environmental matters, including Congressional and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) engagement strategies, EPA and California Air Resources Board (CARB) compliance programs, and Clean Air Act litigation.
At the Department of Transportation, Stansbury served in several roles, including Deputy General Counsel for the Office of the Secretary (OST), as well as Special Counsel for the OST and Chief Counsel for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
He served as lead negotiator and deal maker for DOT in enforcement actions involving safety, consumer protection, and mergers, with a particular focus on aviation and surface transportation. He also routinely briefed members of Congress and their staff and advised a former U.S. Secretary of Transportation and modal administrators, which included preparing them for Congressional testimony.
Originally from Houston, Stansbury will maintain an office in the city and assume an active role helping to expand Hunton’s environmental practice throughout Texas.
“Brian brings extensive government and private practice experience to the firm, having advised on complex environmental enforcement and regulatory challenges for more than two decades,” said Deidre Duncan, who leads Hunton’s Administrative Law Group. “His addition enhances our capabilities in the transportation sector, which serves a broad spectrum of industry, and aligns with Hunton’s strategic priority to maintain a leading global environmental practice. We are excited to welcome him to the firm.”
Prior to his government service, Stansbury was in private practice as an AmLaw 20 firm partner, representing automotive and non-road engine manufacturers in commercial litigation, providing regulatory counseling, and defending clients in compliance and enforcement actions involving emissions issues and product safety before the EPA, CARB, and the U.S. Department of Justice.
Stansbury earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Texas and his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.
As the latest addition to Hunton’s environmental practice, Stansbury’s colleagues include several recent key hires, including San Francisco-based natural resources Partner Martin Stratte, former Texas Assistant Attorney General David Terry, who joined Hunton as a counsel in Houston, and Partner Rachel Saltzman in Washington, who joined the firm from Volkswagen Group of America.
Hunton’s global environmental practice of nearly 50 attorneys has assisted with development and financing of new energy and traditional energy sources, participated in the policy development process, helped clients navigate regulatory changes affecting the industry, and counseled clients on strategic opportunities to diversify their energy portfolios. The practice and many of its lawyers are ranked Band 1 nationally by Chambers USA and Chambers Global, as well as by many other well-respected ranking publications.
