Former U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Solicitor Joins Womble’s Energy Practice

WASHINGTON, DC (March 16, 2025) – Womble Bond Dickinson announced today that Andrew Averbach, former Solicitor of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, has joined the firm’s Business Litigation Practice Group as a partner in Washington, D.C. Averbach’s addition places the firm among a limited number of practices with senior, first-hand NRC experience and strengthens Womble’s ability to serve clients across the full spectrum of nuclear regulatory, transactional, and litigation matters.

Averbach advises clients on complex matters under the Atomic Energy Act, the Administrative Procedure Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act. He represents clients on reactor and materials licenses, consolidated spent fuel storage facilities, license renewals, environmental impact statements, and federal preemption issues, helping them navigate complex federal regulatory proceedings and related litigation.

“Andrew’s addition is a significant enhancement to our nuclear capabilities at a pivotal moment for the industry,” said Lisa Rushton, co-leader of the firm’s Business Litigation Practice Group and Energy & Natural Resources Sector. “His experience with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission strengthens our ability to guide clients through complex licensing, regulatory, and enforcement matters as nuclear projects move from development through operation.”

Before joining the firm, Averbach spent 13 years at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, where he served as the agency’s highest-ranking appellate litigator and led its nationwide appellate docket. In that role, he oversaw the defense of the NRC’s licensing and rulemaking authority, briefed and argued cases in the federal courts of appeals, and collaborated extensively with the U.S. Department of Justice, including the Office of the Solicitor General, on matters before the Supreme Court, including Nuclear Regulatory Commission v. Texas.

Earlier in his career, Averbach was Senior Trial Counsel in the Civil Division of the Department of Justice, where he led trial teams in complex government contract disputes and served as a senior member of the Spent Nuclear Fuel Litigation Team. He also practiced complex commercial litigation in private practice and clerked for Chief Judge Joseph A. DiClerico Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire.

Averbach’s experience in NRC litigation and administrative law complements Womble’s existing transactional, environmental, and regulatory capabilities in the energy sector, enabling the firm to offer clients a more comprehensive nuclear practice. His arrival also strengthens the firm’s Appellate Practice team, adding significant experience in both trial and appellate advocacy.

“The global energy sector is undergoing significant transformation, and nuclear power is playing an increasingly important role in the transition to reliable, low-carbon energy,” said Merrick Benn, Womble US Chair and CEO. “Andrew’s experience at the highest levels of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission strengthens our ability to support clients navigating this evolving landscape and reflects our continued investment in building a market-leading energy practice.”

Averbach also has taught legal writing and government lawyering as an adjunct professor at the George Washington University Law School. He received his J.D., magna cum laude, from Boston University School of Law, where he served as editor-in-chief of the Boston University Law Review, and his B.A. from the University of Virginia.