Robert Alessi serves as the Global Vice Chair of DLA Piper's Energy Sector. Drawing on his scientific background, he is regularly called upon by Fortune 100 domestic and international clients to handle their most significant energy, environmental and financial services matters — be they project development, regulatory, major transactions, compliance, defense of government criminal and enforcement actions, or judicial and administrative trials and appellate litigation. He also represented the governmental entity charged with planning the rebuilding and revitalization of the World Trade Center and Lower Manhattan in the aftermath of 9/11, having been selected to do so as a result of a national competition.
Robert has been repeatedly highlighted for his multi-faceted practice in the leading legal rating publications Chambers USA, The Best Lawyers in America, The Legal 500 United States, BTI Client Services, Martindale-Hubbell, and New York Super Lawyers. In these publications, clients have referred to him as "an A+ Lawyer," "the one attorney I would pick to be next to me when it really counts," "a brilliant attorney with a strategic mind-set and exceptional work ethic," and "one of the smartest lawyers I have ever worked with." In addition, clients state that he is "extraordinarily smart," "creative," "meticulous," "incredibly bright, hardworking, pragmatic and thoughtful."
He has led project development, regulatory, transactional and compliance matters and defended enforcement actions and civil and criminal court litigation for a wide range of businesses including electric generation, electric transmission, distribution and microgrid providers, financial institutions, private equity firms, liquefied natural gas facility developers, oil and gas companies (upstream, midstream, and downstream), renewable energy companies, water utilities, pipeline entities, industrial manufacturers, railroads, automobile manufacturers, state and local governmental authorities, mining operators, professional sports entities, telecommunication providers, and solid and hazardous waste disposal facilities and transporters.
His general civil litigation practice encompasses a wide variety of other commercial matters in state and federal trial and appellate courts; and he is presently co-counsel in two prominent criminal defense matters.
Robert has successfully appeared on behalf of clients before the United States Supreme Court, the New York State Court of Appeals, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and for the District of Columbia. Various of these matters were profiled in the American Lawyer Litigation Daily, National Law Journal, New York Law Journal and Law 360 and reported in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal.