Theodore Olson, a prominent conservative lawyer who represented BP in settlement cases following the Deepwater Horizon disaster, defended a key permit for an Alaska gold mine and helped Chevron fight environmental claims in Ecuador, died Wednesday after reportedly suffering a massive stroke. He was 84.
The former solicitor general during the George W. Bush administration and Justice Department official during the Reagan years argued 65 cases before the Supreme Court, including a successful Administrative Procedure Act challenge against the Trump administration’s rescission of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program, according to a press release from Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.
Olson had worked at the law firm since 1965 — when he wasn’t serving in the federal government.
“Ted was a titan of the legal profession and one of the most extraordinary and eloquent advocates of our time,” said Barbara Becker, chair and managing partner of Gibson Dunn. “He was creative, principled and fearless — a trailblazing advocate who cared about all people.”
