James focuses his practice on environmental and energy law. In addition, James draws on his 11 years of prior government service to advise clients on a variety of general regulatory and strategic matters.
Prior to joining the firm, James worked at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in a few different capacities. Most recently he acted as senior assistant regional counsel, where he was responsible for environmental counseling and enforcement matters under various statutes, including CERCLA, CWA, RCRA, and CAA in both the federal administrative and judicial contexts. He handled complex judicial enforcement matters in the Marcellus Shale sector, oil spill response, accident prevention, and multimedia context. As the EPA Region 3 lead oil enforcement lawyer, James was responsible for the Federal Response Plan (FRP) and Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) counseling and enforcement, representing the EPA in seeking penalties, ensuring compliance, and advising on questions of federal jurisdiction. James acted as one of the Agency’s national experts on FRP and SPCC legal matters and handled a variety of oil enforcement cases, including the BP Curtis Bay FRP consent decree, which established a national corporate spill prevention compliance program across BP’s inland operations in the aftermath of the offshore Deepwater Horizon oil spill. He also served as special counsel for enforcement and permitting in the Air Protection Division and began his career at the EPA during law school as a paralegal specialist.
James earned his bachelor’s degree, cum laude and with honors, from Franklin and Marshall College. James earned his Masters of Environmental Management from Duke University and he earned his law degree, with honors, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. While attending law school, he was the notes editor for the Journal of Law and Technology, president of the Environmental Law Project, and a member of the Holderness Moot Court, Environmental Appellate Advocacy Team.
News
March 05, 2024
Mannesmann has operations and operating plants throughout the United States as well as in Germany, France, and Italy. The transaction is valued at €135 million.
May 09, 2022
James Van Orden is quoted in a Law360 article that discusses concerns regarding the long-term addition of offshore wind. Experts express that the US grid may not be prepared for what is to come and emphasizes the importance of taking action to accelerate transmission development as the number of turbines in the water continues to increase.
February 10, 2021
James Van Orden was quoted in Law360 on the implications of the Biden administration’s executive order, which doubles offshore wind power generation in U.S. federal waters by 2030.
June 24, 2020
United Hydrogen is one of the largest privately held merchant hydrogen producers in North America. The company operates a manufacturing plant in southeast Tennessee with a capacity to produce 6.4 tons of liquid hydrogen daily, with plans to expand to 10 tons per day.
Publications
May 17, 2021
Marcia Mulkey and James Van Orden discuss the EPA's memo to the national and regional enforcement managers that signals clear and specific enforcement policy expectations in the stressed communities and environmental justice context.
March 26, 2021
The Paycheck Protection Program is scheduled to expire March 31, 2021. However, the program still has a large amount of unspent money, and there is still considerable support for the program in Congress.
March 25, 2021
Michael Connolly, Amorie Hummel, William Lesser, Heidi Schwartz, Josh Stein, and James Van Orden discuss tax, maritime, and environmental issues and developments affecting the offshore wind industry.
March 17, 2021
Michael Connolly, Amorie Hummel, William Lesser, Heidi Schwartz, Josh Stein, and James Van Orden discuss New Jersey and New York's offshore wind energy policies and what the Biden administration has already done to advance offshore wind energy development in federal waters.
January 22, 2021
Steve Dickinson, Robert Magovern, and James Van Orden discuss key provisions to the Consolidated Appropriations Act, which revived the original Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), with some modifications, in part two of a two-part article in Law360.
January 22, 2021
Steve Dickinson, Bob Magovern, and James Van Orden discuss the SBA's interim final rule governing forgiveness of PPP loans and the new versions of the three forgiveness application forms, including a streamlined form for loans up to $150,000.
January 21, 2021
Steve Dickinson, Robert Magovern, and James Van Orden discuss the omnibus budget act that reinstituted the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) in part one of a two part article in Law360.
January 08, 2021
Steve Dickinson, James Van Orden, and Bob Magovern discuss the Paycheck Protection Program startup and highlights key provisions of the two new implementing rules.
December 28, 2020
James Van Orden, Robert Magovern, and Steven Dickinson outline the changes made to the PPP in the omnibus budget signed by President Trump this weekend.
July 27, 2020
Steve Dickinson, James Van Orden, and Bob Magovern discuss the SBA's procedural notice to lenders participating in the PPP concerning PPP loan forgiveness.
July 07, 2020
Steve Dickinson, James Van Orden, and Bob Magovern discuss updates to the Paycheck Protection Program.
June 18, 2020
Steve Dickinson, James Van Orden, and Bob Magovern discuss the new Form 3508EZ and Form 3508 for PPP loan forgiveness.
June 09, 2020
Steve Dickinson, James Van Orden, and Bob Magovern discuss the joint statement by the Small Business Administration and Department of the Treasury concerning changes in SBA rules and forms that are necessary to implement the Flexibility Act.
June 05, 2020
Steve Dickinson discusses the Flexibility Act of 2020 and the changes to the PPP.
May 28, 2020
Steve Dickinson, Bob Magovern, and James Van Orden discuss the two new rules issued by the SBA that provide some additional insight into the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan forgiveness.
May 19, 2020
James Van Orden, Bob Magovern, Marty Schrier, and Steve Dickinson discuss the SBA's guidance on forgiveness of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans that allow small businesses and self-employed individuals to seek full forgiveness of their PPP loans that are being used to pay employee wages and other critical expenses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
April 24, 2020
Steve Dickinson, Marty Schrier, James Van Orden, and Bob Magovern discuss the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act, which adds $310 billion in funding to the Paycheck Protection Program and an additional $60 billion to the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program.
April 23, 2020
Steve Dickinson, James Van Orden and, Bob Magovern discuss the SBA's recent FAQ regarding public companies receiving PPP loans.
April 14, 2020
Steve Dickinson, James Van Orden, and Bob Magovern discuss the SBA's updated FAQ's on the Paycheck Protection Program.
April 08, 2020
Steve Dickinson, Marty Schrier, Bob Magovern, James Van Orden, and Jason Kreps summarize the SBA's FAQs about Paycheck Protection Program loans.
April 04, 2020
Steve Dickinson, James Van Orden, and Bob Magovern discuss the latest affiliation rules under the PPP as they apply to faith-based organizations.
April 03, 2020
Steve Dickinson and James Van Orden outline the updated regulations implementing Paycheck Protection Program loans.
April 02, 2020
A quick guide for small businesses interested in the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program r the Paycheck Protection Program.
April 01, 2020
Steve Dickinson, Jason Kreps, James Van Orden and Marty Schrier outline the implementation of the Paycheck Protection Program.
March 28, 2020
Members of Cozen O'Connor's Coronavirus Task Force provide analysis of the CARES Act and how it will impact small businesses, distressed industries, employers and employees, taxes, and the health care, real estates, and energy industries.
January 09, 2020
James Van Orden and Matthew Robbins discuss what commercial building owners need to know about the Building Energy Performance Policy bill signed into law by Mayor Kenny.