Joel Zipp is member of the firm's International and Cross Borders practice group, in the Washington, D.C. office. His practice focuses on energy transactions, energy markets and regulation, energy project development, and the acquisition of energy assets and capacity, primarily oil and gas pipelines and LNG facilities. Prior to entering private practice Mr. Zipp served as an attorney in the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) Office of General Counsel and as an Assistant Director in its first Office of Enforcement.
Mr. Zipp has advised and represented investors on federal and state energy regulatory and transactional matters involving the acquisition and construction of pipeline assets totaling billions of dollars in value. Mr. Zipp has been General Counsel and Secretary and project counsel for several joint venture interstate pipeline projects, including "greenfield" projects. He has been responsible for all legal aspects of pipeline project development and involved in all business and strategic decision-making for several projects, including project financing.
Additionally, his pipeline representation includes negotiating and drafting: construction, operation and maintenance, and ownership agreements; the terms and conditions of FERC gas tariffs; undivided ownership interests; precedent agreements and transportation contracts; and interconnection agreements.
Mr. Zipp also has extensive experience over a 30 year period representing and advising local distribution companies, interstate and intrastate pipelines, and end users on the full range of proceedings before the FERC.
Mr. Zipp has experience in advising European clients seeking to acquire ownership of and capacity in LNG terminal facilities. His experience in these matters includes: the heads-of agreement, LNG supply agreement, the terminal use agreement, and downstream transportation arrangements.
Mr. Zipp has advised on a range of matters relating to energy markets administered by independent system operators (ISOs) and on FERC regulatory matters including: representation at New York and New England ISOs management committee and subcommittee meetings; representation before NEPOOL and litigation before the NEPOOL Review Board; litigation on energy market prices in ISO administered markets; transmission access, pricing and curtailment; and RTO formation.