CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
1997 – Present
ATTORNEY & ADVISOR
Managing Director; UTA, LLC.,
Shareholder, Winstead PC
Counsel, Hunton & Williams LLP
2009 – 2011
COMMISSIONER
City of Southlake, TX
Planning & Zoning Commission
2005 – 2007
ADMINISTRATOR / CEO
DEPUT ADMIN. / COO
Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA),
U.S. Dept. of Transportation
2001 – 2003
CHIEF COUNSEL /
GENERAL COUNSEL
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA),
U.S. Dept. of Transportation
1998 – Present (Reserve)
1988 – 1998 (Active)
NAVAL OFFICER &
NAVAL AVIATOR
U.S. Navy
U.S. Dept. of Defense
Phone: (202) 365-2212
E-mail: Brigham A. McCown
Fax: 1-800-551-9601
Brigham A. McCown has more than 25 years of executive management, legal and operational experience at the local, national and international levels of government. McCown currently serves as the managing director of United Transportation Advisors, dividing his time between Washington, D.C., and Dallas, Texas. He primarily advises private sector clients in matters pertaining to federal security and safety regulations, government enforcement of regulated industries and risk mitigation, including areas relating to crisis response and complex private sector litigation.
From 2003 to 2007, McCown served as a member of the United States Senior Executive Service at the U.S. Department of Transportation during both terms of George W. Bush’s presidency. Appointed by Transportation Secretary, Norman Y. Mineta (D-CA), McCown helped shape the nation’s laws, regulations and policies pertaining to transportation safety and security for the surface, maritime, pipeline, rail and aviation industries.
Most recently, McCown was named as the first acting administrator and interim CEO of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHSMA) within the U.S. Department of Transportation. While in this position, McCown was in charge of the federal governments oversight of more than one million daily shipments of hazardous materials by all modes of transportation, including pipeline.
It was also during his time with PHMSA that McCown was given the task of coordinating the federal government’s response to the largest oil spill on Alaska’s North Slope. He also helped oversee the restoration process of the Gulf Coast’s energy infrastructure following Hurricanes Rita and Katrina. He helped author the PIPES Act of 2006 which improved safety and increased government oversight of the pipeline industry while also providing additional operational flexibility to pipeline operators.
Prior to his time with PHMSA, McCown served as the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s first chief legal officer. While managing a staff of 55 attorneys, legislative affairs specialists and support staff, McCown was responsible for ensuring implementation of the nation’s laws and regulations for the motor carrier, motor coach and moving industries.
McCown has worked for several international and national law firms and has experience in defending clients through all phases of administrative, trial and appellate proceedings. His expertise include: federal multi-district and mass tort litigation, administrative law and complex product liability cases.
McCown served with the United States Navy during Operation Desert Storm as a naval aviator and holds an honorary commission of Rear Admiral (LH) in the U.S. Maritime Administration.
McCown is currently a contributor to Forbes and National Journal on matters pertaining to transportation and energy McCown graduated from Miami University in 1988 with a degree in diplomacy and foreign affairs. He later went on to receive his law degree from Northern Kentucky University in 1997.
To view this document as a PDF, click here.
Brigham A. McCown
Managing Director
