Maxwell Cooke, Associate
Max is an Associate with the firm's Energy & Environmental and EMERGE practice groups with experience in corporate matters.
He represents power plant developers, public utilities, and other regulated entities in administrative proceedings before the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC). His developer practice includes assisting clients in navigating the process of obtaining a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN), which is required for most utility-scale solar projects. Max also focuses on Maryland’s community solar program. Specifically, he helps developers interpret and comply with the regulatory requirements for subscriber organizations in order to receive necessary state approvals.
Max has experience reviewing environmental site assessments and drafting environmental liability opinion letters for homebuilders. He has experience in administrative proceedings concerning environmental issues. Max also provides counsel to real estate developers and business owners on environmental permitting.
Recently, Max has been involved with navigating Maryland’s Climate Solutions Now Act and the corresponding Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS), which will soon require almost all buildings over 35,000 square feet to meet reporting requirements and to retrofit in order to convert from fossil fuel to high efficiency heat pumps.
Prior to joining Gordon Feinblatt, Max was a judicial intern to the Hon. Robert E. Cahill, Jr. of the Baltimore County Circuit Court.
Before transitioning to a legal career, he worked for a Maryland-based marketing agency where he supervised contract development in the pre-sale stage as well as advanced marketing campaigns for clients.
Max received his J.D. from the University of Baltimore School of Law and received his B.A. in Strategic Communications in 2015 from Elon University in Elon, NC.
Honors
Selected to Rising Stars of Maryland Super Lawyers® list, 2024
News
Professional and Civic Involvement
Member, LifeBridge Health Leadership Society, 2024
Publications and Lectures
Co-Presenter, Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS) Panel, Maryland Engineering Conference, October 17, 2024
- Building Energy Performance Standards Published
- Zero Emission Heating Equipment and “Clean Heat” Standards
- MDE Proposes Revised BEPS Regulations
- Building Energy Performance Standards Delayed
- Maryland Energy Administration Truck Grants
- Building Energy Performance Standards Placed on Temporary Hold
- Building Energy Performance Standards Proposed for Final Adoption
- Maryland Legal Alert - June 2023
- New Greenhouse Gas Regulations for Building Owners
- Maryland’s Aggressive Climate Legislation’s Impact on Providers
Videos and Podcasts
Teams
Education
J.D.,
magna cum laude; University of Baltimore Law Forum, Articles Editor (2019-2020); Staff Editor (2018-2019); Royal Graham Shannonhouse III Honor Society, Distinguished Scholar,
University of Baltimore School of Law,
2021
Bachelor of Arts,
Elon University,
2015
Bar Admissions
Maryland,
2021