Ryan J. Regula is a member of Snell & Wilmer’s Special Litigation and Compliance Practice Group, where he draws on extensive government experience to guide clients through the full spectrum of administrative law at both the federal and state level. His practice is grounded in a deep understanding of the Administrative Procedure Act and its state-level counterparts, equipping him to counsel clients on the procedural and substantive dimensions of agency rulemaking, adjudication, licensing, enforcement, and judicial review. Whether navigating a federal notice-and-comment rulemaking, challenging an agency’s interpretation of its own regulations, or defending against an enforcement action before a state commission, Ryan brings a practitioner’s command of the frameworks that govern how agencies act—and how those actions can be shaped, challenged, or upheld.
Ryan represents a diverse roster of publicly and privately held companies, government agencies, and political offices. His practice centers on strategic counseling through complex regulatory matters, government investigations, enforcement proceedings, and policy development. He is also an experienced litigator who has tried cases in federal and state court, in administrative proceedings, and before state public utility commissions. This combination of regulatory fluency and courtroom capability allows him to serve clients not only as a counselor but as an advocate prepared to press their interests at every stage of the administrative process—from initial agency contact through appellate review.
Environmental and Energy Law
Ryan brings substantive depth at the intersection of environmental law and energy regulation—two fields where administrative procedure, regulatory compliance, and high-stakes decision-making converge. As an Assistant Attorney General in Arizona’s Environmental Enforcement Division, he represented the state across major federal and state regulatory programs, including those administered under the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. In that capacity, he handled permitting, enforcement, responsible-party negotiations, and rulemakings—each of which required close engagement with the procedural requirements of both federal and state administrative law. He first-chaired cases in federal, state, and administrative courts, prevailing on summary judgment against the federal government in a cross-national Clean Water Act matter, obtaining criminal water-quality violations against a mining company, and winning at hearing on a discharge violation. He also negotiated directly with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on enforcement actions, compliance agreements, and permit disputes, developing a firsthand understanding of how federal agencies exercise their regulatory authority and how to effectively advocate within that process.
Since joining Snell & Wilmer, Ryan has leveraged this governmental perspective to represent private-sector clients in high-stakes environmental and energy matters. His environmental work has included enforcement litigation with the EPA and state enforcement agencies. In each of these engagements, Ryan’s familiarity with agency procedures, evidentiary standards, and compliance frameworks has enabled him to craft strategies that account for both the legal merits and the practical realities of regulatory engagement.
Ryan’s energy practice is equally broad and deeply rooted in administrative law. He handles litigation, appeals, regulatory proceedings, and strategic counseling at both the federal and state levels, with experience before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, state public utility commissions, and federal courts of appeal. His work in this space spans certificate of public convenience and necessity challenges, tariff disputes, cost allocation, rate design proceedings, enforcement actions, and federal circuit court issues—matters that routinely implicate the procedural and substantive protections of the Administrative Procedure Act and analogous state statutes. He also provides ongoing regulatory counsel to energy clients on complex operational and compliance matters involving data centers, natural gas pipeline compliance, power plant operations, regulated utility equity investments, and ancillary services.
Ryan’s dual background in environmental and energy law makes him uniquely positioned to guide clients through the convergence of these regulatory frameworks. This includes environmental permitting for energy facilities, water use and discharge issues associated with power generation, and the development of compliance strategies that account for obligations under multiple overlapping regulatory regimes. His cross-disciplinary perspective allows him to deliver comprehensive, coordinated counsel to clients operating in highly regulated industries where environmental and energy mandates intersect—and where the procedural requirements of administrative law govern the path forward.
In recognition of his standing in the field, Ryan has served as a board member of the Energy Bar Association Western Chapter for the last four years and has been a vocal presence through articles, speaking engagements, and media interviews.
Transportation
Ryan also maintains an active transportation practice that spans the aviation, trucking, and maritime sectors. He represents carriers, brokers, and logistics companies in managing risk and navigating the regulatory frameworks administered by the Federal Aviation Administration, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and the Federal Maritime Commission. His work has included advising aviation clients on FAA safety and manufacturing compliance obligations, guiding motor carriers through FMCSA investigations and enforcement proceedings, and counseling maritime clients on cargo liability disputes arising under the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act, the Harter Act, and the Hague Rules. Ryan has also assisted airport concessionaires with compliance under the Airport Concession Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Act and led client responses to multiagency investigation and enforcement initiatives at the state and federal levels.
Housing
Ryan’s housing experience centers on litigating Low-Income Housing Tax Credit matters and advising clients on all aspects of tax credit investment portfolio management, including disputes over compliance monitoring, qualified allocation plan requirements, and investor rights within LIHTC partnerships. He also assists clients in navigating and litigating matters arising under U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines, including tenant eligibility and subsidy calculations under Section 8 and rural rental housing program requirements under Section 515 of the United States Code.
Background and Distinctions
In addition to his private practice and government service, Ryan holds the unique distinction of having assisted the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee in evaluating the nomination of a current U.S. Supreme Court Justice—an experience that deepened his understanding of the federal appointments process and the institutional forces that shape administrative and judicial governance.
Ryan was a Division I student-athlete at two universities. He played football and ran track at the University of Pittsburgh, where he was a member of the 2002 Insight Bowl Championship football team and a recipient of eight Panther Tooth helmet stickers. At the University of Notre Dame, he was a member of four Big East Conference Championship track and field teams and was twice named the men’s track and field scholar-athlete of the year.
***Past results do not predict future outcomes.
