Sean Skaggs

Sean is an accomplished environmental attorney with decades of experience advising a diverse set of clients—including local governments, corporations, private landowners, and Native American tribes—on complex environmental and natural resources matters. He focuses on regulatory compliance with state and federal laws governing endangered species, wetlands, public lands, and environmental review processes. Sean’s broad regulatory experience, public service, and firsthand knowledge of private and in-government practice enable him to deliver practical, innovative solutions for clients facing evolving environmental challenges.

Select experience prior to joining Hunton includes:

• Permitting for the Sunrise Powerlink Electric Transmission Line: Assisted a major southern California gas and electric company in obtaining a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity, Right-of-Way Grant, Special Use Permit, and permits or authorizations under the ESA, CESA, Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, and Section 1603 of the Fish and Game Code for the 120-mile 500 kilovolt Sunrise Powerlink electric transmission line in Imperial and San Diego counties in California. Provided substantial support in the review of the EIR/EIS prepared for the project and extensively involved in permit compliance issues during project construction.

• Bay Area HCP for O&M on Electric and Gas Transmission and Distribution Lines: Assisted a major California public utility in the development of a Habitat Conservation Plan that provided the basis for issuance of permits under Section 10 of the ESA and Section 2081 of the CESA for operations and maintenance activities occurring in nine counties in the San Francisco Bay area in California.

• Anadromous Salmonid HCP: Negotiated and drafted an HCP for a central California municipality to provide coverage for the city’s water supply and delivery system. The plan will result in permits under both the federal and state endangered species acts that authorize take of Coho salmon and steelhead.

• California High-Speed Rail Project: Represented the California High Speed Rail Authority on state and federal environmental and natural resource compliance matters, including NEPA and CEQA and state and federal endangered species laws for all sections of the High-Speed Rail Project.

• Named Outstanding Younger Federal Lawyer, Federal Bar Association, 1998
• Awarded Meritorious Service Award, Department of the Interior, 2001

• Editor, American Bar Association, Section on Energy and Environmental Resources, Year in Review, 2025-2026 (entire book), 2018-2025 (biodiversity chapter)