Holtzman Vogel Adds Former DOJ Deputy Assistant Attorney General Peter Torstensen to Appellate and Constitutional Litigation Practice
Torstensen supervised DOJ litigation over federal energy projects and environmental approvals and led dozens of multistate coalitions before the Supreme Court and federal appellate courts
Holtzman Vogel, a nationally recognized law firm specializing in political law, regulatory matters, and high-profile litigation, today announced that Peter M. Torstensen, Jr. has joined the firm as Of Counsel in its Washington, D.C. and New York offices. Torstensen will focus on high-stakes appellate and constitutional litigation, including environmental and natural resources matters and disputes involving state attorneys general and federal agencies. His arrival brings senior federal litigation leadership and extensive multistate appellate experience to the firm’s national litigation platform.
“Peter joins an incredible team of former government lawyers who guide clients through high-stakes investigations and state attorneys general matters,” said Jill Holtzman Vogel, Managing Partner of Holtzman Vogel. “His experience leading litigation at the Justice Department and in a state attorney general’s office will add real depth to that work, especially for our energy and environmental clients.”
Before joining the firm, Torstensen served as Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Energy and Natural Resources Division. He supervised three litigating sections and advised federal agencies on litigation risk and strategy, including challenges to federal projects and agency approvals under the National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, and Federal Land Policy Management Act. Torstensen’s work put him at the forefront of disputes over federal agency authority, major energy projects, and natural resources policy.
Earlier, as Deputy Solicitor General in the Montana Department of Justice, Torstensen led dozens of multistate amicus coalitions before the U.S. Supreme Court and federal courts of appeals. He also defended Montana against constitutional challenges to its TikTok divest-or-ban law, its prohibition on discrimination based on vaccination status, and its age-verification law. In addition to building coalitions among states, he briefed and argued appeals and dispositive motions in federal court.
“I have followed Holtzman Vogel’s growth for years, particularly its work in government investigations and state attorneys general matters,” Torstensen said. “I am excited to join this extraordinary team and add my federal and state experience to that work, especially for clients in the energy industry.”
Torstensen previously clerked for Judge Peter J. Phipps of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, Judge Martha M. Pacold of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and Judge Margaret A. Ryan of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. He also served as a Constitutional Law Fellow at The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty and began his career as a litigation associate in New York. He holds a J.D. from Notre Dame Law School and a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of California, Los Angeles.
