Areas of Practice

Government Experience

  • Trial Attorney, Environmental Defense Section, United States Department of Justice
  • Attorney Advisor / Acting Assistant General Counsel for New Source Review, Air and Radiation Law Office, United States Environmental Protection Agency

Bar Admissions

  • Virginia

Court Admissions

  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit

Education

  • J.D., University of Virginia, 1993
    Research & Projects Editor, Virginia Environmental Law Journal
  • B.A., Mary Baldwin College, 1988

Memberships

  • Board of Directors, Multiple Sclerosis Association of America

    Vice-Chair, Air Quality Committee, American Bar Association, 2005 - 2008
T 202.344.4526
F 202.344.8300
 
Monica Derbes Gibson
Of Counsel

Monica Gibson is an experienced attorney with nearly 20 years of legal experience in the federal government and private sector. As a member of Venable’s environmental group, Ms. Gibson focuses her practice on matters related to the Clean Air Act (CAA). She has a deep background in CAA issues and understands the day-to-day impact of clean air regulations on how companies run and operate their facilities.

Prior to joining Venable, Ms. Gibson was a trial attorney with the Justice Department’s Environmental Defense Section, in the Environment and Natural Resources Division. While at the Justice Department, Ms. Gibson defended government agency actions, including regulations under the CAA; CAA Title V permits; regulations and permitting actions under the CWA; regulations under FIFRA; and federal facility cleanup under RCRA and CERCLA.

Ms. Gibson also worked for the Environmental Protection Agency as an attorney advisor and later as Acting Assistant General Counsel for New Source Review in the General Counsel’s Air and Radiation Law Office. While at the EPA, Ms. Gibson worked with clients to develop and defend legal challenges to the 2002 revisions to the EPA regulations implementing the CAA permitting programs for new and modified major stationary sources ("New Source Review").  She provided legal advice on a variety of questions relating to implementation and applicability of the New Source Review regulations. She also worked on the development of regulations of toxic air pollutant emissions from sources in various industrial sectors, and provided legal advice on questions involving Title V operating permit programs and New Source Performance Standards.

Activities

Outside of Venable, Ms. Gibson is an active member of the community, serving on the Board of Directors for the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America. She also volunteers as a cook for So Others Might Eat in Washington, DC, and is involved in many volunteer activities for St. Peter School on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.