Colleen O'Connor Collins, Associate

Colleen Collins is an Associate in the Real Estate and Energy & Environmental law practice groups, where she leverages her diverse background in renewable energy, real estate development, and financial transactions to advise clients on project siting, land use, permitting, regulatory approvals, and complex real estate transactions. Her prior experience as a PV designer for multiple solar companies gives her a practical understanding of renewable energy development, which informs her work representing developers, public utilities, and other regulated entities before the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) in Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) and related infrastructure proceedings.

Over the past year, Colleen has focused on guiding clients through the full lifecycle of utility-scale energy and infrastructure projects, including CPCN approvals, land use entitlement, environmental compliance, and real estate site control for solar and energy storage projects. She also advises developers on compliance with Maryland’s community solar and distributed generation programs, as well as on colocation of large end-use customer loads — including data centers and emerging energy technologies — connected to the PJM Transmission System, with a focus on interconnection strategy, metering, reporting, and capacity resource designations.

Her practice includes advising on real estate development, environmental permitting, and regulatory risk management related to wetland mitigation, stormwater management, power plant siting, zoning approvals, and traffic impact assessments. Her understanding of real estate and title allows her to navigate complex property issues, ensuring seamless transactions and regulatory compliance for energy and infrastructure projects. Her background in venture capital enhances her ability to offer strategic advice on project finance, business structuring, negotiation, and partnership development.

Colleen also serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, where she teaches Real Estate Transactions and Negotiations, bringing practical industry experience into the classroom.

She earned her J.D. from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law and an MBA from Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School. Her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Maryland Institute College of Art highlights her creative and interdisciplinary approach to problem-solving.