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Carolyn Elefant

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  • Licensed for 31 years
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About Carolyn

My name is Carolyn Elefant. I am the founder of the Law Offices of Carolyn Elefant, www.carolynelefant.com. To learn more about me, you can visit my website, www.carolynelefant.com or my blogs, www.fercfights.com and www.renewablesoffshore.com.

Practice areas

Ethics and professional responsibilityLitigationAppealsEnergy and utilities
  1. Energy and utilities: 55%

    I handle matters before FERC and state utility commissions, emerging renewable energy matters and federal siting cases as well as federal eminent domain. Also legal issues related to social media in regulated industries.

    33 years, 100 cases

  2. Appeals: 20%

    I've handled at least 30 appeals of FERC, energy and engineering malpractice cases in federal district courts

    33 years, 45 cases

  3. Litigation: 15%

    28 years, 30 cases

  4. Ethics and professional responsibility: 10%

    I've written a book, Social Media for Lawyers and track legal issues related to lawyers and ethics of starting a law firm

Contact

No contact information available

Resume

License
StateStatusAcquiredUpdated
MDActive200212/30/2020
DCActive 199010/14/2017
NYCurrently registered 198912/09/2020
We have not found any instances of professional misconduct for this lawyer.
Avvo Contributions
Legal answers0
Legal guides0
Awards
Award nameGrantorDate granted
Featured on cover of Washington Legal TimesWashington Legal Times/ALM publications2008
Ocean Energy Pioneer AwardEnergy Oceans Conference2007
ABA Top 100 Law BlawgAmerican Bar Association2007
Featured in Maryland Daily RecordMaryland Daily Record2007
Featured in ABA Journal on small law practiceAmerican Bar Association2004
Featured on cover of Washington Legal TimesWashington Legal Times2003
Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless Volunteer AwardWashington Legal Clinic for the Homeless1994
Work Experience
TitleCompany nameDuration
Principal AttorneyLaw Office of Carolyn Elefant1993 - Present
Of CounselLaw Offices of Scott Hempling1996 - 2006
Associations
Association namePosition nameDuration
DC BarLaw Practice Management Steering Committee2006 - 2008
Ocean Renewable Energy Associationof counsel2005 - 2008
Energy Bar AssociationMember1994 - 2008
Publications
Publication nameTitleDate
Solo by Choice: How to Be The Lawyer You Always Wanted To BeSolo by Choice - book2008
Small Firm BusinessThe Accidental Practice2006
Legal Times Intellectual Property MagazineDon't Copy That Brief (can legal briefs be copyrighted?)2001
Washington Legal TimesHow Much Privacy Do Litigants Deserve in E-Filing2000
Washington Legal TimesSaved by the Web: How I Researched A Brief Online for Free2000
Energy Law JournalOcean Energy Development in the 1990s1993
Alabama Journal of the Legal ProfessionCan Law Firms Do Pro Bono: A Skeptical View1991
Georgetown Journal of Legal EthicsWhen Helping Others Is A Crime: 18 USC 205's Restrictions on Federal Attorneys Seeking to Do Pro Bono1990
Education
School nameDegreeGraduated
Cornell Law SchoolJD1988
Brandeis UniversityBA - Bachelor of Arts1985
Speaking Engagements
Conference nameTitleDate
Ocean Energy Updateupdate on marine renewables siting and permitting2008
Los Angeles Solo and Small Firm ConferenceHow to Start A Business Networking Group to Build Referrals, Relationships and Reputation2008
Hydrovision National ConferenceFederal and State Benefits and Subsidies for Marine Renewable and Hydrokinetic Technlogies2008
Global Marine Renewable Energy ConferenceA Snapshot of Marine Renewable Energy Regulation in the United States2008
From Biglaw to Yourlaw: Starting A Law FirmHow to start a law firm; webinar2008
ABA Tech Show 2008Technology to Retain Clients, Technology for Start Up Firms2008
Alterative Energy SymposiumThe Third Wave: Marine Renewable Energy Development in the United States2007
Ocean Energy in OregonOceans Apart? Is National Ocean Energy Policy Consistent With Oregon's Goals?2006
Capitol Hill Briefing on Marine RenewablesObstacles to Marine Energy Development in the United States2004
American Wind Energy Association National ConferenceWhat Offshore Wind Developers Can Learn from the Hydroelectric Industry2004
What Lawyers Can Learn About Bloggingwhy lawyers should blog2003
Offshore Wind ConsortiumNational energy policy and offshore wind2003
Ocean Energy OverviewWave Energy Development in the United States and Regulatory Uncertainty2003
Energy Resources on the World Wide WebEnergy resources on the web1996

Reviews

(10)
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Review Carolyn Elefant

Attorney Elefant Outstanding Attorney for a group of citizens struggling to protect our small Town from an Energy Company.

Posted by

During my career as an Administrator in a large urban School District I had many occasions to engage with Attorneys. My work with Attorney Carolyn Elefant however was as a member of small association of property owners trying to overcome a major challenge to our rural Massachusetts Town by a Major Energy Company seeking approval from FERC for a huge gas Pipeline Project through our land. Her help, advice, and skill were of the highest caliber. She masterfully encouraged our participation in the process of researching the details being proposed. She listened to our findings of fact and our proposals regarding objections to the actions and proposals of the energy company and our criticisms of the findings of the government agencies and commissions. She read the documents and created a plan of action that has given us hope in spite of the overwhelming odds in favor of the energy firm.
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
Hired attorney

Fantastic

Posted by

Carolyn Elefant has been an exceptional attorney for my New York community. Her extensive experience with FERC policy is well known among other prominent attorneys. Without a doubt the progress and successes my community has achieved is due to her hard work, commitment to our case, and expertise in NEPA Law and the FERC process. She keeps a constant open line of communication and answers any questions her clients may have promptly. She is extremely thorough and the reason my community has a fighting chance!

Very knowledgeable, capable, hard working lawyer

Posted by

Our case against the Millennium pipeline would, in my opinion, be lost or at best hanging on by a thread if we hadn't found Carolyn. We had retained a lawyer earlier who did very little except offer advice about what we should be doing early in the process. We were at a key point in our case, she jumped in, figured out what had to be done, worked long hours to put together a comprehensive document explaining all of the information/arguments we had raised, citing past decisions that clearly supported our position, and pointed out the procedural errors in FERC's handling of our case to that point. She's responded to every question we've asked, setting up a clear communication system, telling us exactly what she would like to do and why, or what she doesn't think is either worth our time or could backfire. She's never missed a deadline or not had time to get our feedback on anything that she does or submits - and often sends emails in the middle of the night so we have time to get back to her the next day. We now feel that we have a decent chance of winning against the tremendous odds any group faces when they try to stop a gas company from doing something. In my opinion, that is only because we were lucky enough to find her when we badly needed a lawyer who knew what to do and got going on it immediately.

Knowledgeable and thorough legal counsel!

Posted by

I am a resident in Minisink, NY. A 12,260 hp compressor station was proposed to be sited on my road, which is zoned agricultural/residential. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has federal jurisdiction over the project. Our community sought expert counsel from a number of law firms and chose Carolyn Elefant. One, generally, does not need an environmental lawyer to get the Commission to mitigate a simple portion of a project. However, if the intent is to win or mitigate key portions of the project, then one needs a more than capable environmental attorney. One needs an able and knowledgeable environmental lawyer for difficult issues. Carolyn Elefant knows how FERC works from the inside because she is a former FERC attorney. Her expertise with the Natural Gas Act, NEPA, APA, and the Commission Policy Statement have been crucial in our fight. Additionally, her expertise with FOIA, Privileged, and CEII material regarding due process rights has also given us an edge in our docket. Carolyn has been very flexible with us in handling our particular situation and the various resident political and business backgrounds has been a challenge but yet she has kept us working as a cohesive team for a common goal. I've been up past 2AM working on responses to Environmental Assessment (EA) and other documents and she has been working on our main response document past 4AM. She does what is needed to get the job done! Recently, we needed Carolyn to file a comprehensive Motion for Stay on our behalf to FERC with only a few days notice; we needed to be nimble with a quick response. Carolyn's quick and thorough motion response shows her agility to respond to the given situation. Only a person, like Carolyn Elefant, with intimate knowledge and expertise on how to respond with appropriate legal cases that backup the key arguments can deliver when it matters most. Another reason we chose Carolyn was in anticipation of a challenge before the U.S. Court of Appeals. Our case is setting precedent at FERC. Due to Carolyn's legal responses our case has drawn a rare FERC 3-2 split decision. Whatever the outcome of our case in the next few weeks, I would whole-heartedly recommend Carolyn Elefant to anyone (and, in fact I have).

Amazing Lawyer

Posted by

My name is John O. I reside in Minisink, New York. Last year our community became outraged at the proposal of a gas compressor station, by Millennium Pipeline, smack in the middle of our residential neighborhood. Upon hearing about this proposal members of our community came together to try and fight this project. After months of fighting and educating ourselves we knew it would be impossible for this small community of regular people to be able to take on this enriched gas company without the help of a lawyer who was knowledgable and has had proven expertise in this area. After researching lawyers we unanimously agreed upon the services of Carolyn Elefant as the only clear and obvious choice. Carolyn has helped put our community is a position where we stand a fighting chance of beating this gas company. We wouldn't have a chance without her and Im forever grateful for her service to our community. I highly recommend Carolyn Elefant as your choice for a lawyer as she will certainly increase your chances of success dramatically.

A Client's Dream Attorney

Posted by

Carolyn Elefant has been a tireless advocate on behalf of our citizens group in certificate proceedings at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in a compression station siting case. Not only is she extremely knowledgeable about the Natural Gas Act and the National Environmental Policy Act, she is a brilliant strategist, and a superb writer and speaker. Most importantly, she exhibits a passion for her work that I have rarely seen in my many dealings with attorneys. I am an attorney myself, and have been a client of several different attorneys over the course of my lifetime. In my opinion, Carolyn is the kind of lawyer that all lawyers should strive to be like. She truly is a client's dream attorney. She is trustworthy and ethical. She is responsive, returning phone calls and E-mails promptly. She takes the time to answer questions thoroughly, and keeps us informed of developments in the case. Moreover, she cares about obtaining justice for our group, and has shown her willingness to go the extra mile or two to aggressively represent our interests. If you need a FERC and/or NEPA attorney, you could not go wrong with Carolyn Elefant. I wholeheartedly recommend this outstanding attorney.

Lynda Farrell, former client, Executive Director Pipeline Safety Coalition

Posted by

Carolyn brings the expertise of having worked internally at FERC to the public realm aiding clients in a time and cost efficient means only achieved by experience. When I first met Carolyn I asked her why she left FERC and went into private practice. Her response has proven to be a characteristic of Carolyn that any client would benefit from; she replied, "I just got so tired of seeing people disenfranchised that I had to leave and use my experience and knowledge to help them." Carolyn took our case against Williams Transco in eminent domain with sensitivity, passion and success. She fended off eminent domain in a federal court. As the judge closed the proceedings, he acknowledged Ms Elefant in her defense of "The Brandywine 5" Carolyn continues to be a steadfast advocate for the people and a valued resource for Pipeline Safety Coalition (PSC). With the knowledge that is a fledgling nonprofit, she is willing to help whenever we need her expertise.

Minisink Residents / Compressor Station

Posted by

Carolyn Elefant has worked countless hours on behalf of our community. She has had outstanding communication with our group and has made an effort to learn about the details of the problem (big gas company putting a compressor station in the middle of a residential area). Her experience with FERC gives her insight and knowledge that has become invaluable to us. Although we don't yet know the outcome of our case, I can say with absolute confidence that if we lose, it will have nothing to do with any lack of talent or effort on her part. She has fought this project from every angle, all the while taking our comments and suggestions very seriously. We interviewed - and worked with - other attorneys earlier in the project and hiring Carolyn Elefant has made a world of difference in our cause.

The Brandywine 5... Edward E. Kirkbride

Posted by

Carolyn Elefant, Esq. was a courageous, principled and outstanding counsel in defense of us and our environment before a federal judge in federal court. She carefully prepared each of us with background and information so that we understood and could testify with confidence. She helped us as defendants in an Eminent Domaine case for the taking of our land to stand tall before the judge against "a nautural gas giant" to plead our rights and to obtain a fair hearing. At this moment we do not know how our case will resolve but I feel we could not have had a better operson and better lawyer represent us at the bar. Thank you, Carolyn Elefant, Esq. Edward E. Kirkbride, Architect & Planner

Regulatory Advocate

Posted by

I have worked with attorneys of all types and find Ms. Elefant to be a tireless and brilliant intellect willing to go the extra mile to provide the best counsel to her clients. She combines experience, intelligence and desire in her advocacy on behalf of her clients, never settling for anything other than excellence.

Attorney endorsements

(11)
Are you an attorney? Endorse this lawyer

Jonathan Katz, Energy and utilities Attorney on Jul 11, 2019
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

Carolyn exemplifies the best tradition of helping other lawyers excel for their clients. Anyone would be most fortunate to have her as their attorney.

Hovanes Margarian

I endorse this lawyer.

Thomas Crane, Energy and utilities Attorney on Jun 4, 2013
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

I always enjoy Carolyn's comments on a listserv to which she and I belong. She displays a fine grasp of many attorney issues. I endorse this lawyer.

Rania Combs, Ethics and professional responsibility Attorney on Mar 25, 2013
Relationship: Other

Carolyn’s blog, My Shingle, is one I turned to when I started my solo practice. It provides a wealth of information and resources on issues affecting the solo practitioner. I have appreciated how generous she has been with sharing her time, knowledge and encouragement with me and so many others in the legal community. It’s my pleasure to endorse her.

Jeena Belil, Ethics and professional responsibility Attorney on Sep 2, 2012
Relationship: Other

I have gotten to know Carolyn through a solo-attorney listserve and through her myshingle.com website. She is a phenomenal resource for those who wish to embark on a solo legal career. Her book, Solo By Choice, is in my library, and I routinely use it as a reference.

John Page, Energy and utilities Attorney on Jul 23, 2008
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

I endorse this lawyer's work. Knowledgeable, responsible, energetic, and effective. A leader. Happy to endorse.

D. Smith, Appeals Attorney on Jul 23, 2008
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

I have followed Carolyn's work with interest for a few years now. Aside from a successful career handling FERC-related issues and federal appeals, she is a highly recognized leader in solo and small firm practice management. Anyone facing these sorts of issues would do well to have Carolyn's counsel.

Dennis Chen, Energy and utilities Attorney on Jul 22, 2008
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

I recommend Carolyn for any of your Energy Law needs and also for assistance in building your solo law practice.

Michael Wasylik, Environmental and natural resources Attorney on Jul 18, 2008
Relationship: Worked together on matter

Carolyn Elefant is widely recognized throughout the legal community as an expert in how to practice law to deliver the best possible services to clients, not just today, but over an entire career. She has been generous with her time, her knowledge, and her assistance to me and hundreds, if not thousands, of other lawyers. That has paid back, not only to her, but to her clients.

Robert Kraft, General practice Attorney on Jul 15, 2008
Relationship: Worked together on matter

Carolyn Elefant is a true pioneer. Her wonderful blog, MyShingle.com was among the very first attorney blogs, and years later it continues to be among the very best. Carolyn is a fine lawyer in the energy field, but she is more famous for her gift of inspiration to the many solo practitioners and small-firm lawyers throughout the country. From her award-winning blog to her new book, Solo By Choice, Carolyn has given more help to more lawyers than almost any other practicing attorney. I wholeheartedly endorse her work both as a lawyer and as a consultant.

Eugene Lee, Litigation Attorney on Apr 8, 2008
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

I know Carolyn from a lawyer discussion group. Carolyn is a pioneer in the legal blogging field and has been shining example and spokesperson for solo and small firm practitioners. Carolyn is also a veteran litigator who has fought the good fight in federal and state courts and is a fearsome advocate. I endorse this lawyer's work.

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