A member of Sutherland’s Energy and Environmental Practice Group, Jake Dweck has a diverse energy policy and legal practice spanning nearly 35 years in oil, natural gas and LNG, electric power, climate change, renewable resources, and energy futures and derivatives. In each area, Jake helps clients achieve solutions and strategies in all facets of energy-related transactions and commercial matters, regulatory and policy proceedings, and dispute resolution. Jake was recently recognized by Public Utilities Fortnightly for his work serving clients in the LNG industry by being named as a “Groundbreaking Lawyer” in their November 2009 issue. 

Jake presently chairs Sutherland’s firm-wide Climate Change Practice, focusing on counseling clients regarding U.S. government funding for clean energy projects and technology, carbon markets and offset transactions, fuels regulation, emissions trading (cap-and-trade), the potential impact on industrials and the oil and gas sector, and similar areas affected by federal and state laws to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases.

From 2000 through 2007, Jake chaired Sutherland’s Global LNG Group, representing clients in transactional, commercial and regulatory areas affecting LNG projects and facilities throughout the world. Representative projects include Shtokman, Snøhvit, Brass River, Lake Charles, Cove Point, Elba Island, Sabine Pass, Energia Costa Azul, the Gate Terminal and others, as well as proposed projects and issues involving facilities on the U.S. East, Gulf and West Coasts, Europe, the Bahamas, Mexico, and South Korea.

Jake previously launched and chaired Sutherland’s Energy Creditor’s Rights Team (1998–2004), which has represented a significant number of companies in bankruptcy and litigation proceedings, including as Special Energy Counsel in the PG&E Trading (renamed NEGT) bankruptcy proceeding, as well as individual creditors’ counsel in the bankruptcy proceedings involving Enron (some $1.5 billion in stakes), Power Company of America, Mirant and NRG, and, more recently, counsels creditor clients in the Lehman Brothers and SEM Crude bankruptcies.

Jake also led the Energy and Environmental Group’s Oil Spill and Emergency Response Team (1993–2003) and its Customs and Trade Team geared to energy companies (1993–2001).

Jake’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution practice includes representation of clients like Statoil, Shell Trading and a futures exchange in major commercial, regulatory and antitrust disputes. In 2009, for example, Sutherland successfully defended a major class action challenging on antitrust grounds a foreign government’s decision to cut oil production and a class action alleging fraudulent under-payments of oil and gas royalties.

Jake has represented major concerns in nearly every segment of the energy industry, including IOCs, NOCs, power generators, oil, gas and electricity traders, investment bankers, state and foreign governments, LNG concerns, utilities, pipeline companies, refiners, terminal operators, project developers, and other commercial stakeholders. His practice has involved significant matters before U.S. Congress and the courts, as well as the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Minerals Management Service (MMS), U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs Service and other federal and state agencies.

In addition to private concerns, Jake has represented state, provincial and local governments in energy matters, including the State of Road Island and the Province of New Brunswick. Earlier in his career, he has represented U.S. farmers, acting through their regional farmer cooperatives, in a multibillion-dollar refund proceeding.