Leading Energy and Regulatory Professional Aaron Szabo Joins Faegre Drinker Consulting in Washington, D.C.

Faegre Drinker announced today that Aaron Szabo, a leading authority on energy and environmental policy and regulatory issues, has joined the firm as senior director with Faegre Drinker Consulting in the Washington, D.C. office.

Szabo partners with clients to navigate complex environmental and energy issues, providing advice on climate change and air-related topics and focusing on permitting to ensure that companies can build necessary infrastructure in the United States while protecting the environment and communities.

With more than a decade of experience in federal energy and environmental policy, Szabo’s depth of experience allows him to advise on energy and environmental regulations and their impact on clients’ businesses and practices and makes him especially experienced in counseling on strategic business decisions affected by energy and environmental policies.

“With years of government experience, Aaron brings an impressive résumé of federal energy and environmental policy accomplishments,” said Nick Manetto, leader of the firm’s federal policy, advocacy and consulting team. “Aaron is a great addition to the Consulting team and the firm.”

Szabo’s executive branch career spanned three Presidential administrations, during which time he offered counsel on environmental, energy and natural resources statues and regulations, analyzed regulatory policies to identify potential legal issues, researched and evaluated proposed legislation to respond to Congressional reports and prepare testimony, and acted as liaison with other federal agencies and state, local and tribal representatives.

Szabo was involved in the development of multiple significant Environmental Protection Agency climate and air regulations, including the Clean Power Plan and oil and natural gas methane regulations. He also worked on the Council on Environmental Quality’s National Environmental Policy Act’s updated regulations and federal sustainability policy and guidance.

Before joining Faegre Drinker, Szabo served as a partner at a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy and strategic communications firm. Prior to that role, he was senior counsel for the White House Council on Environmental Quality. Szabo has also served as senior policy advisor and policy analyst for the White House Office of Management and Budget’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, where he worked on domestic energy and environmental regulatory policy. Prior to his work in the White House, he worked at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Szabo earned his bachelor’s degree from University of Maryland College Park and his Juris Doctor from The George Washington University Law School.