Alan M. Glen

Alan Glen has widely recognized expertise in various areas of federal environmental law, including the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (BGEPA), the Clean Water Act (CWA), the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). Alan represents both public and private entities across the country and has successfully handled dozens of permits and consultations under the ESA and other laws.

Alan has assisted in solving environmental challenges  affecting transportation, traditional and renewable energy, real estate development, water resources, regional planning, agriculture, and mining. Much of Alan’s practice relates to rare and endangered species. He has testified before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Water regarding the ESA's interagency consultation process. He works on numerous endangered species plans and other processes from the scale of individual projects to programmatic plans spanning multiple states. Alan also consults on litigation matters under the ESA and other Federal Environmental laws. He has been a trailblazer in species conservation banking matters and assisted in establishing the first species conservation bank in the southwestern region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Alan served as Vice-Chairman for the steering committee of the Balcones Canyonlands Conservation Plan, a regional habitat conservation plan (HCP) in Central Texas and was a member of the Recovery Team for the Barton Springs salamander.  Alan was also President of the Board of Directors of the Real Estate Council of Austin (1997) and received the Council’s “Distinguished Contribution Award” in 1996. He also served for several years as Vice Chairperson of the Advisory Council of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, a unit of the University of Texas at Austin.
During law school, Alan was a Research Editor for the Texas Law Review. Immediately after law school, Alan served as a law clerk to the Honorable Homer Thornberry, Judge, United States 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Pertinent Experience

  • Energy and Wildlife Action Coalition (EWAC). Alan assisted in the founding of and served as lead counsel for several years of this national trade association of electric utilities, including renewable energy providers.

    Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). Alan represents the Texas Department of Transportation as outside environmental counsel on complex environmental matters arising in connection with TxDOT infrastructure projects.

    Oil and Gas Pipelines. Alan has advised several of the largest U.S. oil and gas pipeline operators on a variety of environmental issues affecting both inter-state and intra-state pipeline construction and development.

    City of Austin Water Treatment Plant Four. Alan served on a team that successfully represented the City of Austin on environmental issues affecting the largest infrastructure project in the City's history at that time.

    Lower Colorado River Authority. Alan advise the LCRA various environmental planning, permitting, and compliance issues affecting the LCRA’s plans and operations.

    City Public Service. Alan has assisted this municipally-owned utility on ESA complex ESA planning and compliance issues.

    San Antonio Water System. Municipal water utility on ESA compliance issues.

    Private Development. Alan has advised numerous large-scale real estate developers and builders on environmental issues.

    Conservation Banking. Alan has been a leader in the development of species conservation banks in Texas and elsewhere. He assisted in developing the first conservation bank in Region 2 of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and in developing the first multi-state, programmatic conservation bank in the country. Currently, he is assisting the historic Babbitt Ranches in Arizona on a variety of conservation efforts, including for golden eagles.

    Renewable Energy. Alan has worked on numerous renewable energy projects across the country and has been engaged in the past by the American Wind Energy Association (now the American Clean Power Association).

  • Co-Author “The Endangered Species Act,” in Environmental Aspects of Real Estate and Commercial Transactions: Acquisitions, Development and Liability Management, Fifth Edition, edited by Kevin R. Murray, ABA Book Publishing, January 2021.

    Co-Author, “Case Could Alter the Reach of the Endangered Species Act,” Texas Lawyer, January 2015.

    Co-Author “Ruffling Feathers: How Federal Wildlife Laws May Impact Siting and Operation of Wind Energy Facilities,” American Bar Association's Endangered Species Act Committee Newsletter, May 2010

    Co-Author “Species Conservation Banking,” Natural Resources & Environment, Summer 2005

    Co-Author “Taking Species: Difficult Questions of Proximity and Degree,” Natural Resources & Environment, Fall 2001.

  • Law Clerk, The Honorable Homer Thornberry, Judge, U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals

    J.D., University of Texas School of Law, with honors

    A.B., Stanford University, Economics

  • Texas Bar

    United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit

    U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas

    U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Oklahoma

  • Named Best Lawyers© 2024 Environmental Law “Lawyer of the Year” in Austin. Chosen by his peers for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America© in the field of environmental law 2008 through 2024.

    Chosen for individual recognition for Environment in Texas by Chambers USA, 2019-2023.

    Named an Energy and Environmental Trailblazer by National Law Journal for 2018.

    Named one of the top five environmental lawyers in Texas in the Texas Lawyer “Go to Guide” in 2002.

    Selected to the Texas Super Lawyers list numerous times.