Stephen Anstey is an attorney and member of Kilpatrick Townsend’s Regulatory and Public Policy Team as well as the Firm's Native American Affairs Practice Group. He represents companies, nonprofits, and Tribal governments on federal regulatory, grant, financing, agency, and tax matters. His practice focuses on energy, sustainability, ESG, COVID-19 relief, Tribal law, and digital assets. In addition, he has worked extensively on pro bono civil rights cases, including discrimination and LGBTQIA+ matters.

 

Regulatory and Public Policy -
Stephen advises his clients on federal regulatory and policy matters affecting numerous industries, including renewable energy, conventional energy, sustainability, ESG, agriculture, health care, housing, telecommunications, hospitality, and infrastructure. He supports his clients throughout the entire regulatory process, ensuring their interests are met in federal agency rulemaking and program administration.

 

Stephen also counsels his clients on federal program requirements, funding opportunities, eligibility, and compliance standards. He has helped his clients advocate for and effectuate change on regulatory matters concerning the Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, Department of Agriculture, Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, and Federal Emergency Management Agency.

 

Stephen has helped his clients navigate, guide the implementation of, and benefit from numerous federal programs related to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as grant programs and tax incentives established by the $1.2 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and the $485 billion Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

 

Energy - 

Stephen counsels his clients on regulatory, tax incentive, and grant programs across the energy sphere. He represents and supports his clients on broad energy development and financing initiatives concerning various sectors, including energy storage, chemicals, carbon, capture and sequestration, biofuels, sustainable aviation fuels, solar, wind, hydropower, and hydrogen.

 

Digital Assets - 

Stephen advises on digital assets regulation, development, and administration, as well as related topics. He leads the Kilpatrick Townsend Digital Assets Regulation Blog. The blog covers the development of digital assets regulation and policy, focusing on cryptocurrency, stablecoin, and central bank digital currency.

 

Native American Affairs - 

Stephen represents his Tribal clients on a broad range of legal and regulatory issues. His litigation experience includes cases concerning rights-of-way, oil and gas, water rights, contract disputes, and treaty rights. He has represented clients before federal courts throughout the country, including the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. He has also represented clients before federal agency adjudicatory bodies like the Interior Board of Indian Appeals.

 

Stephen counsels his clients on federal grant and financing initiatives, with an emphasis on energy development, COVID-19 relief, emergency response, and economic development. He has helped his clients secure significant federal funding and navigate issues related to climate change, broadband and technology, energy, agriculture, infrastructure, water, hospitality, disaster and crisis response, and Tribal government services.

 

Education and Accolades -

Stephen earned his LL.M. from Harvard Law School and his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School. Prior to receiving his LL.M., he was one of approximately 20 law school graduates from around the world accepted into the Harvard Law School Graduate Program as a Visiting Researcher.

 

Stephen was recognized as one of the "Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch" in 2022 for Native American Law and in 2023 for Commercial Litigation and Native American Law by The Best Lawyers in America. He was also recognized as a Washington D.C. “Rising Star” in 2023, and the four years immediately preceding, for Native American Law by Super Lawyers magazine. Additionally, U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers selected Kilpatrick Townsend as the 2020 “Law Firm of the Year” for Native American Law.