Samuel T. Perkins is a partner in Steptoe's Washington office, where he is a member of the Regulatory & Industry Affairs Department. Since his graduation from law school in 1974, which in turn followed a brief but mandatory stint in the US Army, he has gained useful experience in a variety of legal areas, with a common thread of complex issues, whether those arise from government regulation or the interweaving of economic interests among private parties.

Energy and Economic Issues
Beginning in the early days of petroleum price controls and continuing through the alternative fuel mandates imposed by the Energy Policy Act of 1992, Mr. Perkins has helped clients cope with energy and environmental regulations imposed by the US and state governments. Although much of his work has taken the form of litigation before administrative agencies or the courts, Mr. Perkins believes that the early identification of key issues, and steps to resolve those issues before litigation is necessary, offers the better approach in most situations.

In addition to advising clients about every phase of the Department of Energy price and allocation regulations, Mr. Perkins has negotiated with the Internal Revenue Service and state tax authorities regarding the appropriate valuation to be placed on crude oil, both at the wellhead and in complex trading transactions. Extensive litigation, both with government agencies and with private entities, has also been necessary from time to time.

More recently, Mr. Perkins has provided advice as to the alternative fueled vehicle purchase mandates that the Energy Policy Act imposes on "alternative fuel providers" through complex regulations drafted by the Department of Energy. In addition, he has supplied frequent reports to a major foreign client about developments on the American political scene, with particular emphasis on energy and environmental issues.

Complex Contract Issues
Mr. Perkins has worked on complex issues of contract interpretation involving long-term coal contracts, spot sales of foreign crude oil, nuclear hazard insurance, and computer services. In such cases, both parties often want to continue a long-term business relationship, but need to resolve difficult issues in order to get past an immediate impasse.

Mr. Perkins believes the keys to a successful conclusion are creative use of lawyering skills and an ability to understand and focus on the client's long-term interests, whether the forum is a court, an arbitration panel or direct negotiations. Mr. Perkins has also benefited from the experience of drafting new contract provisions to reflect the parties' agreements for the future.

Employment Law
Employment law has been an important part of Mr. Perkins' practice for 20 years. He has successfully litigated both class action and individual cases under federal and state laws and executive orders involving claims of race and sex discrimination, age and disability discrimination and retaliation against whistleblowers.

Mr. Perkins' experience helps him provide defense of the employer's interests that is efficient as well as effective, an important consideration in light of the proliferation of cases involving only a single employee, where the stakes may nevertheless be high.

Mr. Perkins has also assisted clients in developing and implementing programs to reduce the likely incidence of claims.