Nationally recognized as a leader in the law, Brooks is involved in cutting-edge environmental and natural resources proceedings in Virginia and around the U.S., including litigation, enforcement defense, project development, and compliance counseling.

Overview
Insights
Awards

Brooks is managing partner of the firm’s Richmond office, which has more than 150 attorneys spread out over the full array of practice areas, along with the Strategies group, which is the firm’s full-service government relations subsidiary. He helps lead the firm’s Environmental and Natural Resources Practice Group, which spans offices from coast to coast. Prior to joining the firm in August 2013, Brooks co-chaired the global environmental practice at Hunton & Williams (now Hunton Andrews Kurth).

Brooks is widely recognized for his work, both locally and nationally. He is top-ranked by Chambers USA, Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, and the Virginia Legal Elite. He has also been recognized as a “Client Service All-Star” by BTI Consulting, one of the country’s “50 Energy & Environmental Trailblazers” by the National Law Journal, and a “Leader in the Law” by Virginia Lawyers Weekly. Most recently, he was included in the Virginia 500 – The 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 Power Lists by Virginia Business Magazine. Brooks has written and spoken extensively on developments arising under the Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, NEPA, and other environmental laws. In addition, he has chaired several national conferences and given more than 300 presentations to audiences across the U.S. and Canada.

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  • Virginia Lawyers Weekly: “Managing Partners Spotlight” (2023-2024)
  • Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyer – independently rated lawyers (2023-2025)
  • Legal 500 United States: Environment: Litigation (2021-2024)
  • Legal 500 United States: Environment: Regulatory (2025)
  • Virginia Business: Virginia 500 (2020-2023)
  • Super Lawyers: Virginia (2006-2007, 2011-2021)
  • Best Lawyers in America®: “Lawyer of the Year”: Litigation – Environmental (2021), Environmental Law (2017, 2019, 2026), Administrative/Regulatory Law (2016, 2023), and Water Law (2012, 2015, 2023, 2025)
  • Best Lawyers in America®: Administrative / Regulatory Law (2012-2026), Environmental Law (2015-2025), Litigation – Environmental (2020-2026), Water Law (2008-2026)
  • BTI Consulting Group: Client Service All-Star (2020)
  • Chambers USA: Environmental Law, Virginia (2005-2025)
  • Law & Politics: “Super Lawyer” in Environmental Law, Virginia (2006-2022)
  • Virginia Business: “Legal Elite” in Environmental Law (2004-2023)
  • Electric Power Research Institute: Ohio River Basin Project, U.S. Water Prize (2015)
  • National Law Journal: “Trailblazer” in Energy and Environmental Law (2015)
  • Virginia Lawyers Weekly: “Leader in Law” (2015)
  • The International Who’s Who of Environment Lawyers (2013-2015)
  • The International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers (2013)
  • Richmond Magazine: “Top 40 Under 40” (2008)

Brooks is managing partner of the firm’s Richmond office, which has more than 150 attorneys spread out over the full array of practice areas, along with the Strategies group, which is the firm’s full-service government relations subsidiary. He helps lead the firm’s Environmental and Natural Resources Practice Group, which spans offices from coast to coast. Prior to joining the firm in August 2013, Brooks co-chaired the global environmental practice at Hunton & Williams (now Hunton Andrews Kurth).

Brooks is widely recognized for his work, both locally and nationally. He is top-ranked by Chambers USA, Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, and the Virginia Legal Elite. He has also been recognized as a “Client Service All-Star” by BTI Consulting, one of the country’s “50 Energy & Environmental Trailblazers” by the National Law Journal, and a “Leader in the Law” by Virginia Lawyers Weekly. Most recently, he was included in the Virginia 500 – The 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 Power Lists by Virginia Business Magazine. Brooks has written and spoken extensively on developments arising under the Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, NEPA, and other environmental laws. In addition, he has chaired several national conferences and given more than 300 presentations to audiences across the U.S. and Canada.

Read More

  • Virginia Lawyers Weekly: “Managing Partners Spotlight” (2023-2024)
  • Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyer – independently rated lawyers (2023-2025)
  • Legal 500 United States: Environment: Litigation (2021-2024)
  • Legal 500 United States: Environment: Regulatory (2025)
  • Virginia Business: Virginia 500 (2020-2023)
  • Super Lawyers: Virginia (2006-2007, 2011-2021)
  • Best Lawyers in America®: “Lawyer of the Year”: Litigation – Environmental (2021), Environmental Law (2017, 2019, 2026), Administrative/Regulatory Law (2016, 2023), and Water Law (2012, 2015, 2023, 2025)
  • Best Lawyers in America®: Administrative / Regulatory Law (2012-2026), Environmental Law (2015-2025), Litigation – Environmental (2020-2026), Water Law (2008-2026)
  • BTI Consulting Group: Client Service All-Star (2020)
  • Chambers USA: Environmental Law, Virginia (2005-2025)
  • Law & Politics: “Super Lawyer” in Environmental Law, Virginia (2006-2022)
  • Virginia Business: “Legal Elite” in Environmental Law (2004-2023)
  • Electric Power Research Institute: Ohio River Basin Project, U.S. Water Prize (2015)
  • National Law Journal: “Trailblazer” in Energy and Environmental Law (2015)
  • Virginia Lawyers Weekly: “Leader in Law” (2015)
  • The International Who’s Who of Environment Lawyers (2013-2015)
  • The International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers (2013)
  • Richmond Magazine: “Top 40 Under 40” (2008)
  • Board of directors, ChamberRVA
  • Board of directors, NextUp
  • Fellow, American Bar Foundation
  • Fellow, American College of Environmental Lawyers (2022)
  • Board member, Library of Virginia Foundation
  • Board member, Richmond Jazz Society
  • Board member and past chair, Richmond CultureWorks
  • Board member emeritus, Capital Region Land Conservancy
  • Board member emeritus, Richmond Public Library Foundation
  • Past chair, VCU Rice Rivers Center for Environmental Life Sciences
  • Past chair, Richmond Business Council, Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce
  • Past Executive Committee officer and Board member, Maymont Foundation
  • Past officer and Executive Board member, VIRGINIAforever
  • Past chair, Environmental and Administrative Law Sections, Virginia Bar Association and Virginia State Bar
  • Past trustee, Virginia Land Conservation Foundation
  • Past trustee, Energy and Mineral Law Foundation

Education

  • Vermont Law School, J.D., cum laude, 1996
  • University of Richmond, B.A., 1992

Bar Admissions

  • Virginia

Court Admissions

  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Virginia
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Virginia
  • U.S. District Court, District of Columbia
  • Supreme Court of the United States
  • Speaker, “Regulatory Briefing: Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Virginia Department of Conservation & Recreation, and Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources,” 23rd Annual Virginia Environmental Health & Safety (VEHS) Conference & Expo, September 10, 2025.
  • Speaker, “Unlocking Air Compliance: Beyond Permits and Into RMP Insights,” 2025 Food and Beverage Environmental Conference, March 31-April 3, 2025.
  • Speaker, “Interactions between the CWA and Other Laws,” American Law Institute Continuing Legal Education, October 18, 2024.
  • Speaker, “Virginia Department of Environmental Quality & Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation Regulatory Briefing, and Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources“, 2024 Virginia Environmental Health & Safety Conference, September 19, 2024.
  • Panelist, “Water Law Developments,” ALI/ELI Environmental Law 2024 Conference, February 22-23, 2024.
  • Speaker, “The Vital Importance of Pipeline and Transmission Infrastructure to Decarbonization,” Energy Law Insights, February 14, 2024.
  • Speaker, “The Continuing Impact of Coal Ash,” Energy Law Insights, January 31, 2024.
  • Moderator, “Blueprint for Success: Integrating Infrastructure and Economic Development,” Virginia Forum on Infrastructure and Its Impact on Economic Development, September 26, 2023.
  • Speaker, “Sackett v. EPA and the Future of the Clean Water Act,” ALI CLE, June 7, 2023.
  • Speaker, “Recent Developments in Water and Wetlands,” ALI/ELI Environmental Law 2023, February 17, 2023
  • Speaker, Metallurgical Coal Producers Association, 42nd Annual Conference & Expo, May 21-24, 2022, Roanoke, WV.
  • Speaker, American Forest & Paper Association, AF&PA Fall General Counsels Coordinating Committee (GCCC) Meeting, October 5, 2021, Atlanta, GA.
  • Co-presenter, Environmental Law & Litigation 101 for Electric Utilities, EUCI Online Course, “National Environmental Policy Act and Endangered Species,” September 10, 2020.
  • Panel speaker, Ecological Restoration Business Association, ERBA’s 2020 Policy Conference, “Water Quality Markets – Ecological Restoration as a Way to Increase Implementation,” March 5, 2020, Washington, D.C.
  • Speaker, Richmond Bar Association Environmental & Energy Law Section, CLE Seminar, Lunch and Annual Meeting, “Legal Developments Involving Discharges Through Hydrologically Connected Groundwater,” June 7, 2019, Richmond, VA.
  • Keynote panelist, Virginia Coal & Energy Alliance, Southern States Energy Board and Virginia Center for Coal and Energy Research Annual Conference & Expo, “Embarking on Coal’s New Era,” May 21, 2019, Kingsport, TN.
  • Panelist, “Carbon Regulation: The Holistic View,” The Thirty-Seventh Annual National Regulatory Conference, May 17, 2019, William & Mary Law School, Williamsburg, VA.
  • Speaker, American Bar Association 128th Summer Meeting, “Current Topics in Environmental And Energy Law: Coal Ash Litigation, Regulation & Legislation,” July 21, 2018, Hot Springs, VA.
  • Speaker, American Bar Association Section of Environment, Energy and Resources 26th Fall Conference, “Staying Afloat in the Deluge of Clean Water Act Developments,” October 19, 2018, San Diego, CA.
  • Panelist, Virginia Bar Association, 128th Summer Meeting, “Current Topics in Environmental and Energy Law: Electric Energy Litigation, Legislation, & Regulation,” July 21, 2018, Hot Springs, VA.
  • Moderator, 2018 Virginia Energy Conference, “The Role of Sustainable Infrastructure in Corporate Strategy,” Virginia Chamber of Commerce, May 23, 2018, Richmond, VA.
  • Panelist, Virginia Coal & Energy Alliance, Southern States Energy Board, Virginia Center for Coal and Energy Research Annual Conference & Expo, “The New Vision for Coal,” May 21-22, 2018, Kingsport, TN.
  • Speaker, “Environmental Developments at the Federal and State Level,” Virginia Coal & Energy Alliance Annual Professional Engineers in Mining Seminar, March 29, 2018, Lebanon, VA.
  • Speaker, American Coal Ash Association (ACAA), 2018 Workshop on Current Issues in Ponded CCPs, March 20, 2018, Richmond, VA.

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