The White House released “Winning the Race: America’s AI Action Plan,” a sweeping federal initiative setting forth the administration’s strategy to secure U.S. global leadership in artificial intelligence. The Action Plan outlines more than 90 federal policy actions across three strategic pillars. Susanna Bagdasarova and Justine Kasznica provides details on what to know. To view the article, click here.
Justine Kasznica
Susanna Bagdasarova
On August 21, 2025, the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection published its proposed Clean Water Act Section 401 Water Quality Certification package proposed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to expedite permitting of energy related projects as a means of implementing several Executive Orders issued by President Trump aimed at expediting regulatory approval of such projects. In finalizing its decision on the proposed Certifications, the WVDEP will consider the impact of activities that would be authorized using these mechanisms on water resources, fish and wildlife, recreation, critical habitats, wetlands, and other natural resources. WVDEP is accepting public comment on its proposed Certification package until September 23, 2025. For more information on this development and other water issues, please contact Christopher (“Kip”) Power or Mackenzie Moyer. To view the full alert, click here.
In accordance with the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, a municipal zoning hearing board possesses exclusive jurisdiction to hear and render final adjudications over a number of land use matters. In their recent article Commonwealth Court Finds Objectors May Have Standing to Intervene in Appeals of Zoning Enforcement Notices, Anna Skipper Jewart and Blaine Lucas address case situations when objectors may intervene in appeals of zoning enforcement cases. To read the full article, click here.
Two Babst Calland women lawyers were selected as 2026 Best Lawyers® “Lawyer of the Year”. Only a single lawyer in each practice area and designated metropolitan area is honored as the “Lawyer of the Year,” making this accolade particularly significant.
Receiving this designation reflects the high level of respect a lawyer has earned among other leading lawyers in the same communities and the same practice areas for their abilities, professionalism, and integrity. Those named to the 2026 Best Lawyers® “Lawyer of the Year” include:
Jennifer J. Hicks – Energy “Lawyer of the Year” in Charleston, W. Va.
Jean M. Mosites – Environmental “Lawyer of the Year” in Pittsburgh, Pa.
10 Babst Calland women lawyers were selected for inclusion in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®, the most respected peer-reviewed publications in the legal profession:
- Lisa Bruderly – Energy Law
- Kathy K. Condo – Commercial Litigation, Energy Law
- Julie R. Domike – Environmental Law, Litigation – Environmental
- Alyssa Golfieri – Real Estate Law
- Jennifer Hicks – Commercial Litigation, Energy Law, Litigation – Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy)
- Justine Kasznica – Corporate Law
- Ramonda C. Marling – Oil and Gas Law
- Jean M. Mosites – Energy Law, Environmental Law
- Marnie S. Schock – Corporate Law, Real Estate Law
- Laura Stone – Corporate Law
View the award recipients here.
Three Babst Calland women lawyers were also named to the 2026 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America which recognizes associates and other lawyers who are earlier in their careers for their outstanding professional excellence in private practice in the United States:
- Alexandra G. Farone – Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Labor and Employment
- Kristen L. Petrina – Corporate Law, Technology Law
- Christina M. Puhnaty – Environmental Law
View the award recipients here.
Best Lawyers undergoes an authentication process, and inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® is based solely on peer review and is divided by geographic region and practice areas. The list has published for more than three decades, earning the respect of the profession, the media, and the public as the most reliable, unbiased source of legal referrals. Its first international list was published in 2006 and since then has grown to provide lists in over 65 countries.
On July 31, 2025, EPA published its highly anticipated Interim Final Rule to extend several deadlines in 40 C.F.R. Part 60, Subparts OOOO, OOOOa, OOOOb and OOOOc that were promulgated in EPA’s 2024 Methane Rule. That same day, environmental groups filed a lawsuit challenging the Interim Final Rule. Absent a stay by the court, which the environmental groups are currently not seeking, the Interim Final Rule and the various extended deadlines are effective. For more information or answers to questions, please contact Gary Steinbauer, Gina Falaschi Buchman, Christina Puhnaty, or your Babst Calland relationship attorney. To read the full alert, click here.
Melanie S. Lampton recently joined law firm Babst Calland’s Washington, D.C. office as a shareholder in the Pipeline and HazMat Safety practice group.
Ms. Lampton comes to Babst Calland after nearly a decade of working on energy-related matters for the Federal government. She most recently worked as an attorney advisor in the Office of General Counsel at U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), where she provided counsel on legislative issues and rulemakings across the department.
Prior to this role, Ms. Lampton was an attorney advisor at the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). She advised the Office of Pipeline Safety on rulemakings, regulatory enforcement, litigation, and policy development. She served as counsel to PHMSA regional offices around the country, representing the agency at administrative hearings, as well as serving as an adjudicator for pipeline safety enforcement cases. Ms. Lampton was also PHMSA’s primary counsel on liquefied natural gas matters.
Ms. Lampton is a 2012 graduate of University of Maryland School of Law.
This is the seventh in a series of profiles featuring the women attorneys of Babst Calland to acknowledge and celebrate their success and to connect women attorneys across the Firm’s practice groups, offices and clients. This attorney spotlight features Brianne Kurdock.
To view the profile on Brianne, click here.
Babst Calland announced the lateral move of veteran attorney Priscilla (Polly) E. Hampton, who has joined the Firm as a Shareholder in its Environmental practice, and opened a new Babst Calland office in New York State.
Ms. Hampton’s practice focuses primarily on contaminated site cleanups, brownfield redevelopment, and environmental diligence and risk management in mergers and acquisitions. She counsels a range of businesses—from mining, manufacturing, and energy to real estate and project developers—on remediation, permitting, compliance, and enforcement matters under federal and state environmental laws.
Ms. Hampton has extensive experience with industrial operations throughout the country. She addresses the “dirty dirt” aspect of deals and projects, counseling on the identification, management, and cleanup of hazardous substances and allocation of related liability. She represents clients in defense of government enforcement and cleanup actions, and she has achieved favorable outcomes for clients facing potential natural resource damages liability. She also oversees internal environmental compliance audits both in the regular course of business and as part of transaction-related environmental due diligence, working with businesses to identify and correct potential deficiencies before and after closing.
A veteran and former U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Officer, Ms. Hampton helped found Women in Environment, an organization aimed at furthering professional development opportunities for women in the environmental field.
“I am excited to join Babst Calland, one of the nation’s premier law firms, with sophisticated and solutions-oriented representation in all areas of environmental law, including projects at the cutting edge of environmental and energy policy. I look forward to working with this well-regarded team of attorneys,” said Ms. Hampton.
Commenting on her lateral move to the firm, Babst Calland Managing Shareholder Donald C. Bluedorn II said, “We are very pleased to welcome Polly as part of our senior-level legal counseling team to serve the needs of existing and new clients across the country. Polly is a well-respected environmental lawyer with a great reputation among local, state, and federal regulatory agencies. She is a natural fit for us as she shares our values, philosophy, and experience in serving a nationwide clientele across a wide range of industries.”
Over the past several years, developers have targeted the vast rural and undeveloped lands of Pennsylvania for renewable energy development. Yet, Pennsylvania lags behind the rest of the country in terms of renewable energy deployment. Beyond well-reported issues involving grid-interconnection and permitting backlogs, those seeking to develop renewable energy in the Keystone State often experience deal-killing roadblocks early on during local land use permitting. Read the full article, Navigating Local Permitting Roadblocks to Renewable Energy Deployment in Pennsylvania, by Anna Jewart, here.
As described in this Environmental Alert, Babst Calland attorneys continue to track developments related to coal combustion residual (CCR) related matters. For more information on this development and other waste matters, please contact Ben Clapp, Gary Steinbauer or Mackenzie Moyer, or any of our other environmental attorneys. To view the alert, click here.
Yesterday, the White House released “Winning the Race: America’s AI Action Plan”,1 a sweeping federal initiative setting forth the administration’s strategy to secure U.S. global leadership in artificial intelligence. The AI Action Plan outlines more than 90 federal policy actions across three strategic pillars: accelerating innovation, building American AI infrastructure, and leading in international diplomacy and security. In this Alert, Attorneys Susanna Bagdasarova and Justine Kasznica lay out the policy directives and key initiatives, and strategic takeaways of the plan.
In their recent article The Environmental Quality Board Evaluates Petition that Proposes Further Setbacks for Unconventional Oil and Gas Operators Alex Graf and Morgan Madden discuss a recent rulemaking petition with the Pennsylvania Environmental Quality Board to increase minimum setback distances from unconventional oil and gas wells. To read the full article, click here.
In her recent article Employer Guidance for Workplace Interactions with ICE with Steve Antonelli, Alex Farone provides guidance to employers for potential interactions with or inspections by ICE at the workplace, including preliminary actions, suggested steps during an ICE visit (whether announced or unannounced), and follow-up recommendations. To view the article, click here.
The following three Babst Calland women attorneys have been ranked in the 2025 USA Chambers Guide. The Chambers USA guide identifies the best practice groups and lawyers working across the US legal market.
Brianne K. Kurdock – USA – Nationwide – Energy: PHMSA Specialists
Jean M. Mosites – Pennsylvania – Environment
Sloane Anders Wildman – District of Columbia – Environment
To view the Firm’s profile, click here.
With election season just around the corner, Pennsylvania municipalities often face the issue of municipal vacancies. While some municipalities have highly contested elections, others, particularly small boroughs, may struggle to find individuals even willing to serve. Municipalities often have questions regarding the rules for these openings, which follow rules from multiple statutes and codes. To add to the confusion, the rules for filling vacancies differ greatly depending on the type of municipality and the exact timing of when the vacancy occurs. This article provides a broad overview of how vacancies occur, how they are filled, and for how long the new official will serve. To read the full article, click here.
