Practice Expertise

  • Air
  • Chemicals, Products and Hazardous Materials
  • Climate Change Law and Policy
  • Climate Change

Areas of Practice

  • Air
  • Chemicals, Products and Hazardous Materials
  • Climate Change
  • Climate Change Law and Policy
  • Air Quality
  • California’s Proposition 65
  • Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)
  • Crisis Management
  • Energy
  • Energy and Environmental Litigation
  • Energy Litigation
  • Energy Transition
  • Environmental
  • Environmental Compliance, Litigation and ...
  • Environmental Justice
  • Environmental Release and Incident Response
  • Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)
  • Hydrogen
  • Land Use
  • Mobile Source and Fuels Regulation
  • National Security
  • PFAS Interdisciplinary Team
  • Pipeline
  • Public Lands
  • Regulatory
  • Sustainability
  • Sustainability and ESG
  • Water
  • View More

Profile

Shannon is the managing partner of the firm’s San Francisco office and a trusted advisor to her clients. As the leader of our California environmental practice and co-leader of our nationwide environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practice, Shannon’s prior experience as a chemical engineer in the oil and gas industry affords her insights into the development of regulations and counsel on environmental, health, and safety issues. Shannon focuses her work on permitting, enforcement, litigation, climate change, ESG compliance and climate disclosures, and regulatory advocacy for clients in a variety of manufacturing and energy sectors, including oil and gas, renewable energy, chemical, paper, and automotive. Chambers USA 2020 describes her as an “expert in environmental matters” and she is one of only four lawyers nationally ranked by Chambers USA in Band 1 Nationwide for Climate Change. She is also ranked by Chambers in California Environment and Global Climate Change law, was named to The National Law Journal’s 2018 list of “Energy & Environmental Trailblazers,” and repeatedly has been named to the California Daily Journal’s list of Top 100 Lawyers and Top 100 Women Lawyers.

Shannon has more than 30 years of experience addressing the Clean Air Act and climate change matters. She is highly regarded for her litigation practice challenging and defending EPA and California regulations and permits before federal and state appellate courts. Her capabilities resulted in a three year appointment to the Clean Air Act Advisory Committee by the Administrator of the EPA.

As an accomplished female lawyer and engineer, Shannon is devoted to improving diversity and inclusion in the legal profession and frequently speaks on how women can succeed in the workplace. She was appointed to and is currently serving on the governing council of the American Bar Association’s Special Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion of the Section of Environmental, Energy, and Resources Law. She is also the founding and current Co-President of the California chapter of the Women’s Energy Network. And she volunteers as a Berkeley Law School Alumni Guide, where she mentors female law students.

Shannon is a contributor to the firm’s environmental blog, The Nickel Report. She is credentialed by the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board in the Fundamentals of Sustainability Accounting, which supports her practice advising companies on ESG issues and disclosures.

Bar Admissions

    Education
    JD, UC Berkeley School of Law, Order of the Coif, 1990

    BSChE, University of California, Los Angeles, 1985

    Areas of Practice

    • Air
    • Chemicals, Products and Hazardous Materials
    • Climate Change
    • Climate Change Law and Policy
    • Air Quality
    • California’s Proposition 65
    • Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)
    • Crisis Management
    • Energy
    • Energy and Environmental Litigation
    • Energy Litigation
    • Energy Transition
    • Environmental
    • Environmental Compliance, Litigation and Defense
    • Environmental Justice
    • Environmental Release and Incident Response
    • Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)
    • Hydrogen
    • Land Use
    • Mobile Source and Fuels Regulation
    • National Security
    • PFAS Interdisciplinary Team
    • Pipeline
    • Public Lands
    • Regulatory
    • Sustainability
    • Sustainability and ESG
    • Water

    Professional Career

    Professional Associations
    • Executive Director, Air Permitting Forum
    • Member, Auto Industry Forum (subset of the Air Permitting Forum)
    • American Bar Association’s Section on Energy, Environment, and Resources
    • Co-chair, Climate Change, Sustainable Development, and Ecosystems Committee, American Bar Association’s Section on Energy, Environment, and Resources, 2013–2016
    • Vice-chair, Programming of the Air Quality Committee, American Bar Association’s Section on Energy, Environment, and Resources, 2011–present
    • Member, Environmental Law and Public Law Sections of the California Bar Publications

    Professional Activities and Experience
    • Recognized as an Energy and Environmental Trailblazer, National Law Journal, 2018
    • Named among the Top Women Lawyers in California, Daily Journal, 2014, 2017
    • 2017 Chambers USA Environment Law Firm of the Year
    • Recognized as a Leader in Climate Change, Nationwide, Chambers USA, 2012-2017
    • Recognized as a Leader in Environment Law, District of Columbia, Environment, Chambers USA, 2012-2017
    • Named Among California’s Top 100 Lawyers, Daily Journal, 2014
    • Named Among California’s 100 Top Women Lawyers, Daily Journal, 2014, 2017
    • Selected as a Super Lawyer for Environmental Law, California Super Lawyers magazine, 2014-2016. A description of the selection methodology can be found on Super Lawyers’ webpage.


    Articles

    Additional Articles
    • New GHG Rule for Oil and Gas Facilities, Daily Journal
    • Practitioner Insights: California Tackles Climate Change, Bloomberg BNA: Daily Environment Report
    • What Cos. Must Know About EPA Clean Air Act Penalty Math, Law360
    • You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby! Or Have You?, Natural Resources & Environment
    • Food v. Fuel: Are Legal Attacks on the Renewable Fuel Standard Just a Bunch of Empty Calories? Natural Resources & Environment
    • EPA Reversal Of Refrigerant Requirements Is Good For Cos., Law360
    • Legal Issues in Preparing Clean Air Act Title V Permit Applications, Clean Air Deskbook, American Bar Association
    • Calif.’s Cap-and-Trade System: Allowable Fee or Impermissible Tax, The Recorder
    • Actions Cos. Can Take Now To Address Microplastics Risk, Law360
    • AB 1279: The California Climate Crisis Act, Daily Journal
    • Socially-Distant Operation Of Critical Infrastructure, Facility Executive
    • As Jurisdictions Like California Sort Out Regulation of Hydraulic Fracturing, NIMBY Approaches Pop Up in Other Jurisdictions, Environmental Law News
    • New Law Regulates Short-Lived Pollutants, Daily Journal (Subscription),
    • What to Know About Proposed Chemical Safety Reg Changes, Law360
    • Assessing Repeal of OSHA’s Injury Reporting Rule, Law360
    • Managing Your Title V Permit, The Clean Air Act Handbook, Fourth Edition, American Bar Association
    • Five Steps for Ag Processors to Adapt their COVID-19 Incident Response Approach – California Ag Network, California Agriculture–Online
    • Managing Your Title V Permit, The Clean Air Act Handbook, American Bar Association, 3rd. ed.
    • The Clean Air Act Operating Permit Program: A Handbook for Counsel, Environmental Managers and Plant Managers, American Bar Association
    • Life After Title V Permit Issuance: You’ve Received Your Permit, Now What Do You Do? The Clean Air Act Handbook, American Bar Association, 2nd. ed.
    • EPA’s Missed Opportunity to Ground Its GHG Tailoring Rule in the Statute: What the Situs Argument Would Mean for the Future of the PSD Program, ELR News & Analysis
    • Zero-emission vehicle order: lofty goals, light on details, Daily Journal
    • Commentary: California’s Climate Disclosure Law—Leading the Way or Just Piling On?, Hart Energy
    • Making it Rain: Jennifer L. Shea, ABA Law Practice Today
    • State Air Board Plans New Mobile Source Regulations, Daily Journal
    • EPA Finalizes Reconsideration Rules for Boilers and Solid Waste Incinerators but Issues Remain, Trends E-Magazine
    • Five Steps for Ag Processors to Adapt their COVID-19 Incident Response Approach, California Ag
    • Implementing the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990: Major Rules – 1995-2000, 14 Pace Envtl. L. Rev. 79
    • California Climate Bill Targets Business, Utility Emissions, POWER Magazine
    • Commentary: EPA Must Approve Primacy for Texas CCS Wells, Hart Energy
    • ESG Hot Topics
    • 2022 Marks a Large Step Forward for ESG Disclosure, Retail Industry 2022 Year in Review

    Blogs

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