Former Senior White House Environmental Official Joins Covington

Former Senior White House Environmental Official Joins Covington

May 31, 2023

SAN FRANCISCO—Jayni Hein, who most recently served as Senior Director for Clean Energy, Infrastructure & the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) at the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), has joined Covington. Resident in the firm's San Francisco office, she will practice in the Environmental and ESG practices and will serve as co-chair of the firm’s newly launched Carbon Management and Climate Mitigation initiative.

"Our clients face enormous challenges confronting the environmental and sustainability issues of today, made more difficult by a complex and ever-changing regulatory and political landscape, challenging economic conditions, and increased scrutiny from shareholders, consumers, and other stakeholders,” said Doug Gibson, Covington’s chair. “We have developed an unmatched team of lawyers and advisors – many of whom are former senior government officials – to provide our clients with the sophisticated and nuanced business, legal, and policy advice to meet these challenges.”

In her role at the White House, Jayni managed a broad portfolio focused on advancing clean energy, improving climate disclosure, and delivering climate-smart infrastructure while avoiding potential environmental justice implications. During her tenure at CEQ, Jayni oversaw the Biden Administration’s ambitious environmental and clean energy agenda, leading efforts on low carbon projects and advancing the successful implementation of the historic Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (2021) and Inflation Reduction Act (2022). She also led CEQ’s revisions to the Administration’s NEPA regulations and CEQ’s climate change and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions guidance.

“Companies across all sectors are confronting the urgent need to take action to reduce carbon emissions and to demonstrate progress toward meeting their ambitious emission reduction and net-zero targets,” said Dan Feldman, co-chair of the firm’s ESG practice and former Chief of Staff and Counselor to Secretary John Kerry, the first U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate. “Covington’s multidisciplinary Carbon Management and Climate Mitigation practice is at the forefront of advising clients on the development and execution of corporate decarbonization goals, and adding someone with Jayni’s experience and expertise will add even further depth to the solutions we deliver for clients.”

Jayni will focus on environmental compliance and regulation, clean energy infrastructure development and permitting, and legal and policy issues relating to ESG and climate-related regulatory requirements.

"As the energy transition unfolds, clients will require law firms who not only have a deep understanding of the legislative, policy, and regulatory issues, but also the commercial implications of an increasing drive toward a low-carbon economy,” said Jayni. “Partnering with my new colleagues at Covington, we will help clients navigate the challenges posed by climate change, identify and leverage new opportunities, and mitigate the risks associated with the need to accelerate the pace of global emissions reductions.”

Jayni received at J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law and her undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia.

Through the combined strengths of its Environmental and Energy and ESG practices and its Carbon Management and Climate Mitigation initiative, Covington takes a comprehensive approach to addressing clients’ legal, policy, and business challenges presented by sustainability. As the energy transition unfolds, Covington’s lawyers and advisors are at the forefront advising clients on the development and execution of corporate decarbonization goals and helps companies design innovative strategies and advance favorable policies to achieve their sustainability and emissions reductions goals.