Charleston, W.Va., lawyer James McHugh, with the Chris Pence Law Firm has joined the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) as deputy assistant secretary for policy. McHugh will head the agency temporarily until Wayne Palmer is confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
McHugh has represented clients before the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and state-level regulatory agencies.
A graduate of Purdue University, WVUs College of Law and the U.S. Army War College, McHugh is a retired colonel in the West Virginia National Guard, a former U.S. Marine, and an Iraq veteran. He has more than 30 years of practicing law.