Environment · Energy · Business

Creative legal solutions at the intersection of the environment, energy, and business.

S Deatherage Law is a Dallas-based law firm advising developers, companies, data centers, individual and family landowners, and investment funds on renewable and traditional energy, infrastructure, data center, environmental, and business matters — in Texas and across the United States.

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38Years of practice
$10B+In energy and infrastructure projects
100+Utility-scale solar, wind and storage projects

Areas of Practice

Three disciplines. One integrated practice.


Environment

A recognized authority in environmental and natural resources law — from permitting, enforcement, and litigation to climate change, carbon credits, ESG, and brownfield redevelopment.

  • Air, water and waste regulation
  • Climate change and carbon trading
  • ESG and sustainability counsel
  • Contaminated property reuse

Energy

An experienced advisor across renewable and traditional energy — solar, wind, storage, natural gas, transmission, anaerobic digestion, biomass, waste-to-energy, and data center power — on projects totaling more than $10 billion.

  • Power purchase agreements
  • EPC and development contracts
  • Solar and wind leases
  • Project sales and financing

Business

Decades of advice and negotiation regarding various contracts, company formation, and mergers and acquisitions for private equity, lenders, real estate companies, wind and solar developers, data center companies, and individuals and families.

  • Entity formation and governance
  • Purchase and sale agreements
  • Membership interest purchase agreements for LLC interests
  • Chief legal officer for electric vehicle charging company
  • Acting as outside general counsel

For Developers and Landowners

Representing Both Developers and Landowners in Wind, Solar, and Energy Storage Leases

Scott provides a balanced and educated view to both developers and landowners as to the needs and concerns of both sides in these leases. As a renewable energy lease lawyer, Scott has structured and negotiated more than 100 ground leases. Scott knows both sides of the negotiating table — and puts that experience to work for both developers and landowners.

Discuss Your Lease

For Developers and Landowners

Data Center Development and Power

Scott represents both developers and landowners in data center projects across the ERCOT region and beyond, advising on power, interconnection, real property, and the contracts that hold these complex transactions together:

  • Advice regarding and negotiating of interconnection agreements
  • Advice regarding electricity statutes and regulations
  • Negotiations with renewable energy generators
  • Negotiations with electric utilities and cooperatives
  • Advice regarding and negotiation of real property purchase and sale agreements
  • Advice regarding and negotiation of ground leases
  • Drafting access and operating agreements
  • Advice regarding and drafting of documents and contracts regarding corporate reorganization
  • Advice regarding limited liability companies and operating agreements
  • Dispute resolution with company partners, contractors, and customers
  • Advice regarding state laws restricting foreign ownership of land, grid equipment, and participation as electricity market participants

About the Firm

Scott Deatherage

Attorney and Advisor — S Deatherage Law, PLLC


A Harvard Law School graduate with 38 years of experience spanning large-firm partnership, boutique practice, and in-house leadership, Scott Deatherage is one of Texas's leading environmental and energy lawyers. He has represented clients in manufacturing, oil and gas, chemical, refining, real estate development, banking, defense, and private equity, among other industries.

Since founding the firm in 2016, Scott has worked on more than $10 billion in energy infrastructure projects — including more than 100 utility-scale solar, wind, and energy storage (battery) projects, natural gas facilities, transmission, and data centers across Texas, California, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and New Mexico.

He also brings rare in-house perspective: as co-founder and Chief Legal Officer of Rove Charging, an electric vehicle charging infrastructure company, he built the legal function from formation through growth — supporting a $150 million private equity raise and a U.S. Department of Energy loan application that received $225 million in phase 1 approval.

Best Lawyers in AmericaEnvironmental · Dallas Environmental Lawyer of the Year, 2010 and 2015
Texas Super LawyersEnvironmental
Chambers USAAmerica's Leading Lawyers for Business
Who's Who LegalTexas
Harvard Law SchoolJ.D., cum laude · Articles Editor, Harvard Environmental Law Review
University of OklahomaB.A., Highest Honors
Adjunct ProfessorUniversity of Texas at Austin School of Law — Climate Change Law
Bar LeadershipFormer Chair, IEL Power and Alternative Energy Committee · Founder/Chair, ABA Environmental Disclosure Committee · Chair, Dallas Bar Environmental Law Section
Carbon Trading Law and Practice

Author — Carbon Trading Law and Practice

A comprehensive practical guide to US and international carbon emissions trading, climate change regulation, carbon credit projects, and financing.

View on Amazon →

Selected Experience

Representation with results.

From utility-scale solar to gigawatt data center transactions — more than $10 billion in projects across Texas, California, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and New Mexico.

1 GW Data Center Project — Closed 2025

Represented the developer from project inception through the completed sale of a 1 gigawatt data center project, navigating a uniquely structured transaction with strategic agility through numerous amendments along the way. The engagement included drafting and negotiating:

  • Land lease with option to purchase
  • Pre-negotiated real estate purchase and sale agreement
  • Interconnection agreement for 1 GW of power
  • Asset purchase agreement restructured into an LLC membership interest purchase

Energy Projects

  • More than 100 utility-scale solar, wind, and energy storage (battery) projects
  • More than 100 solar, wind, and energy storage ground leases structured and negotiated
  • PPAs, EPC, operations and maintenance, interconnection, and offtake agreements for renewables and data centers
  • Permitting for five combined-cycle natural gas power plants, including EPA greenhouse gas permits
  • Anaerobic digestion, biomass, waste-to-energy, and natural gas project work
  • Secured local tax abatements and economic incentives for renewable energy clients, reducing project costs and improving returns

Environmental Matters

  • Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, RCRA and CERCLA counsel
  • Federal litigation under the Endangered Species Act, NEPA and Clean Water Act for transmission, oil and gas, and manufacturing clients
  • Carbon credit project development, trading and arbitration
  • Environmental due diligence in hundreds of mergers and acquisitions, lending, and real estate transactions
  • Brownfield redevelopment and environmental insurance counsel

Contract and Document Drafting and Negotiation

In his law firm practice and acting as the chief legal officer for a company, Scott has negotiated many types of contracts, including:

  • Master services agreements
  • Memoranda of understanding and letters of intent
  • Non-compete agreements
  • Purchase and sale agreements
  • Long-term services agreements
  • Referral agreements
  • Software agreements
  • Marketing and distribution agreements
  • Non-disclosure and non-circumvention agreements
  • Independent contractor agreements
  • Limited liability company operating agreements
  • Membership interest purchase agreements
  • Shareholder agreements
  • Advisory board agreements
  • Escrow agreements
  • Consulting and engineering agreements

In-House Leadership — Rove Charging, LLC

As co-founder and Chief Legal Officer of an EV charging infrastructure company (2018–2026), Scott built and led the legal function from formation through growth stage:

  • Supported a $150 million private equity raise
  • DOE loan application receiving $225 million phase 1 approval
  • 20 ground leases, site acquisitions and sale-leasebacks for station deployments
  • Legal technology and document automation cutting contract cycle times

Articles and Insights

Recent writing.


More articles and commentary on Scott's LinkedIn profile →

Contact

Let's discuss your matter.


If you would like to set up an appointment, fill out the form and we will contact you as soon as possible.

Scott Deatherage
214-356-0979
scott@sdeatheragelaw.com
Dallas, Texas

No engagement as your counsel will occur until an engagement contract is agreed upon and signed.

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