Member Listing
Patricia Godley
Washington, DC
(202) 298-1940
Email
Education
University of Texas Law School, J. D., 1979
Memphis State University, M. A., 1973
Trinity University, B. A., 1970
Professional Experience
Pat Godley has over 20 years of experience in the private and public energy sectors. Her law practice focuses on the natural gas and electric power industries in four inter-related areas:
Business Transactions: advising clients in project development and asset acquisitions and divestitures, drafting and negotiating contracts, and assessing the impact of federal laws and regulations on business ventures.
Regulatory Proceedings: representing clients in matters before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency, and Department of Interior.
Public Policy: representing clients before the Administration and Congress in proactive efforts to affect public policy.
International Trade: assessing and implementing client investment opportunities in developing countries, particularly in Latin America and the Former Soviet Union.
Ms. Godley also serves as General Counsel and member of the Board of Directors of the United States Energy Association, and is a member of the Board of Directors of Arch Coal, Inc.
PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND
Prior to joining Van Ness Feldman, Ms. Godley served as the Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy at the Department of Energy from1994-98, where she managed federal investment in the research and development of fossil fuels technologies, the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and the Naval Petroleum and Oil Shale Reserves. As the Assistant Secretary, she managed the sale of the U.S. interest in the Elk Hills oil field in California for $3.65 billion, the largest privatization in U.S. history. She also helped to develop federal policy on such issues as access to federal lands for oil and gas development, electricity sector restructuring, and global climate change and other environmental regulatory matters.
Prior to her service with DOE, Ms. Godley was a partner in the law firm of Bracewell & Patterson, where she developed regulatory and contracting strategies for U.S. and Canadian energy companies, devised and implemented domestic asset acquisition and disposition strategies, and litigated contract disputes. In the international arena, she advised the World Bank on projects to develop natural gas and oil pipeline legislation and regulation for Bolivia, Argentina, and Russia.
