Environmental Litigator and Former Federal Highway Administration Chief Counsel Thomas Echikson Joins Firm

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Thomas G. Echikson has joined the firm’s Environment, Energy & Resources (EER) practice as senior counsel in the Washington, D.C. office. Tom was most recently Chief Counsel for the Federal Highway Administration  where he led the legal team responsible for the more than $40 billion Federal Aid Highway program.

“Tom is a widely respected environmental attorney with exceptional knowledge of the federal regulatory landscape,” said Karen McGaffey, Chair of Perkins Coie’s EER practice. “During more than two decades in private practice, Tom led complex litigation, enforcement, and rulemaking matters involving all major federal environmental laws.  At the Federal Highway Administration, he advised the agency on a wide range of environmental and transportation regulatory issues.  Tom is a wonderful addition to our national environmental practice.”

Tom has vast experience in the areas of environmental and transportation policy and regulation.  In private practice, Tom represented clients in a wide range of federal civil and criminal litigation brought under federal environmental laws, including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, while also representing clients in the environmental review and permitting for major energy and railroad infrastructure projects. Tom also advised clients on, and led judicial challenges regarding, federal agency rulemaking.

At the Federal Highway Administration, Tom led a national team of more than 50 lawyers providing legal and policy counsel to the agency’s leadership on a wide range of regulatory and policy issues affecting transportation infrastructure, including environmental review and permitting for transportation projects; compliance with Buy America requirements; investigation of civil rights complaints filed under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act; implementation of federal grant, loan, and loan guarantee programs for transportation projects; and development of major rulemakings and guidance documents implementing recent federal transportation legislation. 

“I am delighted to welcome Tom to Perkins Coie,” said Bill Malley, Managing Partner of Perkins Coie’s Washington, D.C. office.   “Tom’s deep experience as an environmental litigator and counselor, combined with his in-depth knowledge of federal transportation law and policy, will enhance our ability to represent clients across the full range of environmental and transportation issues.  Tom will be especially valuable in helping to expand our national practice representing public and private clients in the development of major infrastructure projects.”

Tom earned is J.D., cum laude, from Northwestern University School of Law where he was the Articles Editor, Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology and he received his B.A. from Dartmouth College.

Perkins Coie’s EER practice group includes more than 100 EER attorneys in offices across the United States and is widely recognized for its ability to help plan a project’s development, secure the necessary permits in a timely manner, reduce the likelihood of litigation and help facilitate post-development and ongoing compliance and regulatory contacts. Perkins Coie’s EER attorneys also represent private companies and public agencies in the full range of environmental litigation matters. Chambers USA ranks the firm’s environmental group as one of the nation’s top national practices. Perkins Coie’s EER lawyers also have high ratings in The International Who’s Who of Environment Lawyers, Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers. Perkins Coie was named the 2017 U.S. News - Best Lawyers® “Law Firm of the Year” in Natural Resources Law.

About Perkins Coie: Founded in 1912, Perkins Coie LLP has more than 1,000 lawyers in 19 offices across the United States and Asia. The firm provides a full array of corporate, commercial litigation and intellectual property legal services to a broad range of clients, from FORTUNE 50 corporations to emerging growth startups, as well as public and not-for-profit organizations.