Washington, District of Columbia, United States
Engaged in practice of law involving natural gas regulatory matters in proceedings before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ("FERC") and natural gas contract and financing matters. Clients include interstate and intrastate natural gas pipelines, natural-gas fired electric generation facilities, and alternate energy providers requiring supplemental natural gas supplies. Involved in contract drafting and negotiations, litigation assistance, and advising companies on corporate matters. Available to act as a mediator or arbitrator especially in disputed matters between companies involved in the natural gas area.
Maintained solo practice for over 8 years in the natural gas regulatory and corporate law areas. Significant representation included of: (a) a natural gas pipeline in a dispute with its customers over abandonment of major portion of the pipeline's system; (b) developers of new pipelines filing applications for certificates and rate approval from the FERC; (c) several offshore gas pipelines in their rate cases before the FERC; (d) several gas pipelines protesting the potential deleterious effects from the spin-off of offshore assets by primarily onshore pipelines; (e) a group of natural gas pipelines in their day-to-day matters in compliance with their tariffs and the FERC rules and orders; (f) natural gas-fired generators in rate case proceedings of El Paso Natural Gas Company ("El Paso"), arguing for lower non-discriminatory rates for new customers of El Paso vis-a-vis its traditional utility customers; (g) several developers of alternate energy projects in California in the negotiation of contracts for the purchase of supplemental gas supplies; and (h) outside counsel to several small construction and start-up companies.
As Senior Vice President helped form and headed Pace Global Energy Services regulatory practice and was involved in various assignments for regulated natural gas pipelines, storage companies, and large consumers of energy before FERC and state public service commissions. As General Counsel formed and managed Pace Global Energy Services legal department as the company grew from a single-office consulting firm to a global energy services company.
Partner in the law firm of Chadbourne & Parke where founded the fuel group, negotiated numerous fuel purchase/sales and transportation agreements and provided due diligence review for lenders supporting project-financed electric power and pipeline projects. In the regulatory realm, represented the trade association of the pulp and paper industry and of the private power industry, several international banks and numerous industrial consumers and producers of energy before FERC and state regulatory commissions in advocating deregulation of elements of the natural gas pipeline industry. In the contract realm, advised private power producers and industrials in the following areas: negotiating fuel purchases/sales, storage and transportation agreements; assessing energy supply and delivery offer and opportunities; and advising on the requirements of project financing in negotiating energy agreements.
Spent almost seven years at FERC developing an expertise in pipeline regulation and energy markets, including during the last two years, defended oil and natural gas-related decisions of the FERC in the federal courts.