Nuclear

Hogan Lovells’ global nuclear energy team guides clients through every stage of nuclear project development, financing, and operation of nuclear facilities—combining deep industry knowledge with practical solutions. We deliver added value by helping clients navigate export controls, safety, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies, and by shaping the regulatory landscape for advanced reactors worldwide. We stay at the forefront of next generation technology and work with clients worldwide on advanced reactor projects.

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Hogan Lovells’ Global Nuclear Energy practice provides clients with comprehensive support across the full lifecycle of nuclear projects—from development and financing to licensing, operations, and decommissioning. With decades of experience advising governments, utilities, investors, and technology developers, our team brings an unmatched understanding of the regulatory, commercial, and technical complexities of the nuclear industry.

We help clients navigate critical issues including nuclear licensing, export controls, health and safety, cybersecurity, liability, and supply chain management, ensuring compliance while enabling business objectives. Our lawyers are deeply involved in the evolution of the nuclear regulatory framework, including the NRC’s approach to advanced reactors and fusion energy, giving clients valuable insight into how emerging technologies will be treated by regulators worldwide.

Our work spans traditional large-scale plants, small modular reactors (SMRs), and next-generation technologies, and we regularly support cross-border transactions and partnerships where energy security and nonproliferation policies are paramount. By combining technical fluency with global reach, we deliver tailored solutions that help clients anticipate challenges, manage risk, and capture opportunities in an increasingly complex nuclear landscape.

Commercial Nuclear Power

Nuclear Liability

Nuclear Innovation: SMRs, Advanced Reactors & Fuel Technologies

Nuclear Investigations

U.S. Export Controls

Decommissioning

Nuclear Licensing

Whether you are building, operating, or supplying a nuclear facility, our team brings decades of experience across the full nuclear lifecycle. We advise developers, operators, equipment suppliers, spent fuel managers, and emerging players in advanced and space reactors. Our counsel spans project development, joint ventures, M&A, financing, tax incentives, DOE and DoD contracting, NRC licensing, and international trade and investment issues. With lawyers who have served at the DOE, NRC, and in industry, we combine insider knowledge with global reach to deliver practical solutions wherever your projects take you. From structuring deals and securing incentives to navigating complex regulation and government relations, we provide seamless, integrated support to help clients succeed in the evolving nuclear industry.

We regularly advise clients on nuclear liability and insurance matters, including under the U.S. Price-Anderson Act. Our team counsels suppliers, contractors, and operators on navigating complex U.S. and international nuclear liability frameworks, financial assurance requirements, and strategies to mitigate risk through effective contracting provisions. We also bring experience advising international joint ventures on exposure to U.S. nuclear liability for incidents occurring abroad involving U.S.-supplied components. With deep knowledge of the legal and financial structures that govern nuclear risk, we help clients anticipate, allocate, and manage liability in a way that supports both compliance and business objectives.

We support innovators across the nuclear sector developing small modular reactors, advanced fission designs, and next-generation fuel technologies. Our team has represented utilities pursuing NRC licensing for SMR projects, advanced reactor companies navigating export controls, financing, and regulatory approvals, and the only new commercial nuclear fuel fabrication technology company in the U.S., in its efforts to commercialize metallic fuel. We routinely advise new entrants on NRC and DOE requirements, providing compliance trainings and seminars to guide companies through the complex licensing process. With our cross-disciplinary experience, we help emerging nuclear developers and suppliers structure partnerships, secure funding, and manage regulatory risk to bring breakthrough technologies to market.

We advise nuclear industry clients through sensitive investigations and enforcement matters involving the NRC, DOE, and DOJ. Our team conducts internal investigations on compliance, quality assurance, and safety culture issues, and regularly defends companies and executives in regulatory inquiries and enforcement proceedings. We also guide licensees, vendors, and contractors in responding to whistleblower complaints and employee protection claims under the Energy Reorganization Act. With deep experience navigating complex regulatory frameworks, we help clients manage risk, resolve investigations efficiently, and maintain strong relationships with regulators while protecting business operations and reputations.

We regularly assist nuclear companies with U.S. export control compliance, including DOE Part 810, NRC, and Department of Commerce regulations. Our team advises reactor operators, suppliers, and vendors on technology transfers, foreign national access, and deemed export issues, developing compliance programs, training, and screening procedures to mitigate risk. We guide clients through voluntary disclosures, license applications, and day-to-day compliance for international partnerships, outsourcing, and cross-border projects in markets including China, India, Europe, and the UAE. Our work also covers classification analysis of technology, FOCI considerations, and export controls for nuclear components, substances, and services. With practical experience and close engagement with regulators, we help clients navigate complex global nuclear trade requirements while supporting international growth and maintaining compliance.

We guide clients through the complex legal, financial, and regulatory issues surrounding nuclear decommissioning. Our team advises licensees on funding mechanisms, including decommissioning trust agreements, and counsels utilities on IRS regulations governing trust fund management and transfers. We work with international contractors on issues related to becoming the licensee, and with universities on decommissioning research reactors, managing radioactive materials, and addressing trust fund, export control, and access authorization requirements. With deep experience across commercial, institutional, and international contexts, we provide practical strategies to ensure compliance, manage financial obligations, and support seamless transitions throughout the decommissioning process.

Our team advises clients through every stage of the nuclear licensing process, from preparing and submitting initial applications to the NRC, to engaging with the agency during pre-application activities. We guide clients in responding to NRC requests for additional information, defending against interventions in contested hearings, and managing license amendments, renewals, and extensions. With deep experience navigating NRC procedures and precedent, we help clients reduce uncertainty, avoid costly delays, and maintain compliance while advancing their projects. This work is critical to the industry, as efficient and reliable licensing is essential to bringing new nuclear technologies online, sustaining safe operations, and ensuring that investment in nuclear power delivers on its promise of secure, clean energy.

Hear from our clients and industry leaders

Hogan Lovells has a deep energy practice. There is huge knowledge from within the firm."

Chambers & Partners, Global Guide 2025: USA

The team was attentive, always available and very good at handling complex work. Hogan Lovells is a commercially minded law firm that puts the client at the center of everything.”

Chambers & Partners, USA Guide 2025

Key contacts

Amy C. Roma

Partner

Amy C. Roma

Partner

Washington, D.C.

Daniel F. Stenger

Partner

Daniel F. Stenger

Partner

Washington, D.C.

Stephanie Fishman

Senior Associate

Stephanie Fishman

Senior Associate

Washington, D.C.

Stewart Forbes

Counsel

Stewart Forbes

Counsel

Washington, D.C.

Cameron Hughes

Associate

Cameron Hughes

Associate

Washington, D.C.

Meet the Nuclear Power team

Representative experience

We represented Helion in negotiating and executing the first-ever fusion power purchase agreement, a groundbreaking step that set a global precedent for the commercialization of fusion energy. A key challenge was the absence of a clear regulatory framework for fusion in the United States, which created uncertainty around how to license and operate the first prototype facilities.

We represent X-energy across all aspects of its business, including its groundbreaking project with Dow Chemical to license and build a first-of-a-kind advanced reactor at a Texas facility to support Dow’s decarbonization commitments. A central challenge has been navigating the complex regulatory and commercial landscape for deploying a new reactor design in an industrial setting—a first in the U.S. and globally.

When the oil and gas industry committed to deploying hundreds of micro nuclear reactors by the early 2030s to decarbonize upstream operations, Shepherd Power faced a major barrier: the existing licensing framework was far too slow and costly to make microreactors economic.