RJ Colwell advises energy clients on a wide range of corporate and commercial energy matters, including mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, private equity investments, project development, and project finance. RJ's experience spans crude oil, natural gas, natural gas liquids, produced and recycled water, carbon dioxide, and conventional and renewable power commodities and assets; related processing, treatment, generation, transmission, storage, and CCUS assets and entities; LNG and natural gas import and export facilities; and related energy markets. RJ also advises data center developers, investors, and lenders on the full lifecycle of energy infrastructure for their projects, and practices before federal and state energy regulatory authorities, including FERC, DOE, the Texas Railroad Commission, and the Public Utility Commission of Texas.
Underpinning RJ’s data center and transactional work is deep regulatory experience. He has represented clients in more than 400 proceedings before FERC involving natural gas and liquids pipelines, including rate, tariff, certificate, complaint, and declaratory order matters. This regulatory fluency allows RJ to anticipate the approvals, jurisdictional questions, and compliance issues that shape how energy deals are structured and closed.
Before joining King & Spalding, RJ practiced energy transactions and regulatory law in Houston and Denver at other distinguished international and regional law firms, advising on transactions with an aggregate value exceeding $10 billion. RJ began his legal career as an Honors Attorney and then as an Attorney Advisor at the U.S. Department of Energy in Washington, DC, where he advised DOE senior leadership on transactional, operational, regulatory, and policy matters involving the regulation of natural gas and LNG imports and exports, the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and other programs involving fossil energy.
Before attending law school, RJ served as a field artillery officer in the U.S. Army, attaining the rank of Captain in three years. During his service, RJ deployed to Iraq and received several decorations, including the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, and the Combat Action Badge. He remains actively involved in veterans organizations and initiatives.
