Jason A. Hill

Jason Hill is an attorney in Holland & Knight's Houston office, and a member of the Public Policy & Regulation Group. Mr. Hill counsels clients through complex natural resource litigation, compliance and regulatory issues arising under a wide array of federal natural resource and energy statutes and regulations.

With more than 25 years of experience in the environmental and natural resources space, Mr. Hill provides clients with strategic solutions to business and operational challenges set in motion by intricate natural resource laws. He has particular knowledge of statutes and regulations surrounding federal public lands, extraction of mineral resources, renewable energy projects, environmental justice, and sensitive resource preservation and protection.

With a background in administrative law, as it relates to energy and mineral resource issues, Mr. Hill provides guidance on compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA), Federal Land Policy Management Act (FLPMA), National Forest Management Act (NFMA), Mineral Leasing Act (MLA), Indian Mineral Development Act (IMDA), Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA), Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act (FOGRMA), and many other federal land management and environmental statutes.

Mr. Hill's understanding of regulations and the agencies that enforce them stems from his government experience. Previously, he served in several high-ranking positions at the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), including as the chief administrative judge of the Interior Board of Land Appeals, the deputy solicitor for the Energy and Mineral Resources and as senior counselor to the director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

In addition, Mr. Hill also served as a trial attorney for a decade at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in the Natural Resources Section of the Environment and Natural Resources Division, where he was lead attorney in defense of numerous challenges brought through the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), with a particular emphasis on cases brought under various natural resource and land management regulations. Mr. Hill deploys this experience when helping clients navigate federal agency programs, operations and regulatory developments.

Mr. Hill addresses client matters in a holistic fashion while recognizing the particular factors and internal operations of federal agencies to develop strategic solutions for his clients. He is familiar with the regulatory frameworks utilized by the BLM, Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR) and the Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA).

Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Hill was an attorney for an international law firm in its Houston office.

Mr. Hill is also an adjunct professor at the University of Houston Law Center, where he teaches the Practice of Environmental Law.