Sr Counsel - Litigation

Energy Transfer LP; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 170,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Energy Transfer LP in Houston is seeking a Senior Counsel, Litigation to lead complex disputes across our midstream asset portfolio. You will partner with Operations, Commercial, Land, EH&S, Engineering, and senior leadership to protect the company’s interests in high-stakes litigation and regulatory actions. The role requires seasoned judgment, strong negotiation, and the ability to manage outside counsel and budgets while aligning legal strategy with business objectives and risk management.

Qualifications

• JD from an accredited law school.
• Active license in at least one U.S. jurisdiction (Texas preferred).
• 6+ years of litigation experience with trial exposure.
• Experience in energy, midstream, oil & gas litigation.

Responsibilities

• Lead all aspects of litigation, arbitration, and administrative proceedings.
• Advise Operations, EH&S, and Engineering on incidents and regulatory investigations.
• Interface with PHMSA, FERC, EPA and state agencies post-incident and on enforcement actions.
• Draft and negotiate settlement agreements, tolling agreements, and contract amendments.
• Manage outside counsel and litigation budgets and strategy.

Skills

Litigation experience

Regulatory knowledge

Negotiation

Executive communication

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

Active U.S. law license

Job description

Energy Transfer, recognized by Forbes as one of America's best large employers, is dedicated to responsibly and safely delivering America's energy. We are driven to inspire our employees to create superior value for our customers, our investors, a sustainable future and giving back to the community where we have long-standing commitments to causes including MD Anderson Children's Cancer Hospital, The Salvation Army, The American Red Cross, Ronald McDonald House and many more.

We value all of our employees who make our growth and success possible. We are proud to offer industry leading compensation, comprehensive benefits, 401(k) match with additional profit sharing, PTO and abundant career opportunities.

Come join our award winning 12,000 strong organization as we fuel the world and each other!

Position Overview

The Senior Counsel, Litigation serves as one of the company's lead attorneys for litigation and disputerelated matters across the company's asset portfolio. This role provides strategic legal guidance to protect the company's interests in complex commercial disputes, operational incidents, personal injury matters, environmental claims, land and ROW conflicts, and regulatory enforcement actions. The Senior Counsel partners closely with Operations, Commercial, Land, EH&S, Engineering, and Executive Leadership to proactively manage risk, resolve disputes efficiently, and ensure compliance with federal and state laws governing midstream operations.

Key Responsibilities

Litigation Strategy & Case Management

• Lead all aspects of litigation, arbitration, and administrative proceedings involving the company, including case assessment, strategy development, budgeting, and oversight of outside counsel.
• Manage a diverse docket including commercial disputes, environmental enforcement, personal injury, property damage, ROW and eminent domain matters, and regulatory challenges.
• Direct discovery strategy, including document preservation and production, ediscovery, witness preparation and presentation, and expert engagement.
• Evaluate settlement opportunities and negotiate resolutions that protect the company's financial and operational interests.

Operational & Regulatory Support

• Advise Operations, EH&S, and Engineering on incident response, spill events, pipeline integrity matters, and regulatory investigations.
• Support internal investigations related to operational events, safety issues, or compliance concerns.
• Interface with federal and state agencies (e.g., PHMSA, FERC, EPA, state environmental agencies) post-incident and also on enforcement actions, notices of violation, and compliance matters.
• Provide legal guidance on pipeline safety regulations, environmental statutes, and operational risk mitigation.

Commercial & Contractual Disputes

• Advise Commercial teams on contract interpretation, performance disputes, indemnity issues, and risk allocation.
• Support resolution of disputes involving shippers, suppliers, contractors, and JV partners.
• Draft and negotiate settlement agreements, tolling agreements, and disputerelated contract amendments.

Risk Management & Governance

• Develop and implement litigation management processes, reporting, and metrics for executive leadership.
• Provide training to internal teams on litigation readiness, document retention, privilege preservation and risk mitigation.
• Advise on insurance coverage, claims strategy, and coordination with insurers.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school; active license in at least one U.S. jurisdiction, preferably at least Texas.
• 6+ years of litigation experience, preferably with trial experience and with demonstrated experience engaging in and communicating directly with stakeholders on high-profile disputes.
• Strong background in energy, midstream, oil & gas, or heavy industrial litigation.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex, highvalue litigation and arbitration matters.
• Familiarity with pipeline safety regulations, environmental statutes, and commercial contracts common in midstream operations.
• Excellent judgment, negotiation skills, and ability to communicate effectively with senior leaders.
• Ability to thrive in a fastpaced, operationally driven environment with competing priorities.

Required experience is commensurate with the selected job level:

• The Associate Counsel level requires a Juris Doctor and 0-3 years of relevant job related experience
• The Counsel level requires a Juris Doctor and 3-6 years of relevant job related experience
• The Sr Counsel level requires a Juris Doctor and 6+ years of relevant job related experience.

Preferred Experience

• Prior inhouse experience in oil and gas cases including (upstream, midstream, and downstream, complex commercial litigation, mediation and arbitration matters, managing all phases.
• Experience with PHMSA, FERC, EPA, and state environmental agencies.
• Experience in complex commercial litigation and intellectual property litigation
• Experience managing outside counsel and litigation budgets.

Competencies

• Strategic legal thinking with strong business acumen
• Exceptional communication and executivelevel presence
• Riskbased decisionmaking
• Crisis management and calm under pressure
• Collaborative, solutionsoriented approach
• Strong negotiation and conflictresolution skills