People People

People

Austin Echols Baker Botts Houston
Austin Echols Baker Botts Houston
Austin Echols
Senior Associate
[email protected]
DETAILS
Practices
Crisis Management
EHS Crisis Response
Environmental, Safety and Incident Response Group
Health and Safety
Investigations
Litigation
Monitorships
Details
Overview
Overview Admissions & Affiliations Experience News Thought Leadership
Practices
Crisis Management
EHS Crisis Response
Environmental, Safety and Incident Response Group
Health and Safety
Investigations
Litigation
Monitorships

Overview

Austin Echols' practice focuses on a range of environmental, safety, transportation, and incident response matters. His experience includes advising clients on workplace safety, process safety, pipeline safety, maritime, hazardous materials, air, water, and waste issues. Austin also counsels clients during crises and manages federal and state agency investigations into incidents involving fatalities, serious injuries, environmental damage, and major operational disruptions. Austin represents clients in matters involving OSHA, CSB, PHMSA, USCG, BSEE, BLM, FAA, EPA, and corresponding state agencies throughout the country, with particular experience handling regulatory matters in Texas and Alaska.

Austin's practice is informed by firsthand operational, government, and in-house experience. Prior to returning to Baker Botts, Austin served as Senior Counsel for a large upstream oil and gas company in Alaska, where he managed environmental, safety, and transportation matters for the company's Alaska operations. Before practicing law, he served as a facility inspector and pollution investigator with the U.S. Coast Guard and also worked as an operator for a large midstream company, giving him practical, firsthand experience in the industries he now advises. Austin continues to serve in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve.

Admissions & Affiliations

  • State Bar of Texas
  • Alaska Bar Association
  • The Maritime Law Association of the United States

Education

  • J.D., University of Houston Law Center
    cum laude
    Chief HLRe Editor, Houston Law Review
  • B.A., Business Administration, Sam Houston State University

Experience

Workplace Safety and Incident Response

  • Represented and provided immediate incident response and crisis management to chemical facilities and oil refineries following releases, fires, and explosions that resulted in fatalities and personal injuries.
  • Represented onshore and offshore operators in response to BSEE, BLM, and EPA safety and environmental investigations.
  • Advised companies on OSHA, EPA, USCG, and CSB investigation processes and regulations before, during, and after crises.
  • Represented companies during OSHA, EPA, USCG, and PHMSA inspections and contested citations related to workplace fatalities, injuries, and transportation incidents.
  • Defended refineries, chemical facilities, manufacturers, and food processing companies in OSHA citations, including allegations involving process safety management and other workplace safety standards.

Pipeline, Maritime and Transportation

  • Advised companies in the oil, gas, and maritime industries on USCG safety, security, and environmental regulations, and counseled on PHMSA requirements related to the construction and maintenance of LNG and hazardous liquid facilities and pipelines.
  • Represented companies in FAA investigations and appeals, including securing withdrawal of an investigation with no enforcement action and reversal of an adverse agency determination.
  • Advised companies within the oil, gas, and transportation industries on pipeline safety, hazardous materials, and transportation regulations.
  • Represented Alaskan pipeline operators in PHMSA enforcement proceedings, resulting in withdrawal of proposed violations, and advised other operators on jurisdictional determinations, pipeline abandonment obligations, and enforcement risks.
  • Advised vessel owners, operators, and waterfront facilities on oil spill contingency planning throughout coastal U.S. waters, including Alaska’s Prince William Sound.
  • Served as a member of the court-appointed monitor team for one of the world’s largest cruise lines subject to a criminal judgment arising from international vessel pollution.

Internal Investigations

  • Performed and supported numerous privileged investigations in connection with workplace safety, environmental, and maritime incidents and matters.
  • Performed internal investigations and provided risk assessments and recommendations to a large private environmental infrastructure maintenance company on environmental, health, safety, and transportation matters.
  • Performed internal investigations and provided risk assessments and recommendations to a large private supermarket company on COVID-19 policy and procedure implementation.

Environmental and Regulatory Counseling

  • Advised numerous companies on compliance with federal and state environmental regulations.
  • Advised energy companies on air, waste, and water permitting obligations
  • Represented states and state agencies in seeking EPA approval of Clean Water Act Section 404 permitting program assumptions and defended those approvals in litigation.
  • Drafted comments to state and federal agencies on behalf of oil, gas, and energy clients in response to major environmental rulemakings

Transactions and Due Diligence

  • Analyzed potential OSHA, USCG, PHMSA, and environmental liabilities in connection with numerous acquisitions, mergers, sales of assets, and other transactions.
  • Provided regulatory counseling and risk assessments to support transaction negotiations and post-closing compliance obligations.
  • Counseled on workplace safety, pipeline safety, and maritime safety associated with decommissioning refineries, offshore platforms, and ship docks.