Holland & Hart Hires Trump EPA Leader Andrew Wheeler in DC

Andrew Wheeler, who led the Environmental Protection Agency during the Trump administration, is joining Holland & Hart in Washington as the Denver-founded firm eyes growth in the nation’s capital.

Wheeler has joined the firm as a partner and head of its federal affairs team in Washington, the firm announced on Tuesday.

Holland & Hart has a strong national bench in energy, environment and natural resources across the Rocky Mountain states and Washington is the place where many of the decisions that impact those industries are happening, Wheeler said in an interview with Bloomberg Law.

“I couldn’t turn it down,” Wheeler said. “It’s also a good challenge and I was looking for a good challenge,” he said.

Andrew Wheeler

Holland & Hart

Wheeler was nominated in 2017 to become the deputy administrator of the EPA and was confirmed in April 2018. Just three months later, Wheeler became acting head of the agency after his predecessor, Scott Pruitt, became embroiled in a series of scandals, many regarding his personal conduct and subsequently resigned. Wheeler was confirmed head of the EPA in February 2019.

Most recently, Wheeler worked for Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s office as director of the Office of Regulatory Management before stepping down on March 29. He also served earlier as the state’s acting secretary of natural and historic resources.

Wheeler deflected suggestions that he’s positioning himself for another role in a future Trump administration.

“I like what I’m doing right now,” he said. “I want President Trump to be successful. And I learned a lot of my time at EPA, and I’m happy to share that with any people that he brings in.”

Wheeler has worked with Holland & Hart over the years and recently they approached him about building out their Washington office and expanding its federal affairs practice, he said.

“Growing the Washington, DC office is a strategic priority for the firm, and Andrew is a critical addition to build our government affairs and regulatory practice,” said Holland & Hart chair Chris Balch in a statement.

Wheeler’s vast expertise in environmental policy will be a huge asset to the firm’s energy and natural resources clients as well as his experience navigating operational and regulatory hurdles for clients in the technology and renewable energy industries, said Balch, who began his second four-year term as Holland & Hart leader in January.

In addition to his role at the EPA, Wheeler also served as staff director and chief counsel to US Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and to the US Senate Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate Change, Wetlands and Nuclear Safety.

Beyond his government experience, Wheeler spent nine years at Faegre Baker Daniels Consulting where he led its federal energy and environment practice team, where he provided federal regulatory and legislative counseling and lobbying to clients across a variety of industries.

Holland & Hart, which brought in $358 million in 2023, recently represented Pattern Energy Group LP in financing the largest clean energy infrastructure project in US history, worth $11 billion.

The firm also advised several large mining companies on permits in Nevada and is representing the state of Utah in its lawsuit against the EPA over the Ozone Interstate Transport Rule.

Wheeler said he plans on building out a bipartisan team that can work on both congressional as well as regulatory issues with the different regulatory agencies, but he doesn’t want to limit his work to solely natural resource clients.

During his time in Virginia, he was heavily involved in artificial intelligence, data center issues as well regulatory issues across the entire state government.

“I see our practice here in DC as expanding not just natural resources, but for a whole host of clients for the firm,” Wheeler said.

With additional reporting by Stephen Lee.