Best Lawyers in America for Energy Law
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John Ratnaswamy founded his own law firm after having served as a co-founder and Partner at a nationally recognized energy boutique law firm. John has spent more than two decades counseling and representing electric and natural gas industry clients, including before utility commissions and on appeal. John has been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© from 2010-2024 and was named its 2014 Chicago “Lawyer of the Year” in the field of Energy Law. John also has ...
Scott R. Alexander is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Energy Law, Energy Regulatory Law, Environmental Law and Litigation - Environmental. Scott R., who practices law in Indianapolis, Indiana, has been recognized since 2013. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Scott R. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Michael P. Darden is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Corporate Law, Energy Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Natural Resources Law and Oil and Gas Law. Michael P., who practices law in Houston, Texas, has been recognized since 2007. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Michael P. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Terry Knister has more than 30 years of litigation experience in both bench and jury trials and also on appeal. His practice is concentrated on toxic tort and environmental litigation with an emphasis on class action and mass tort cases. He has served as lead trial counsel in numerous cases involving allegations of personal injury, property devaluation/damage, and remediation as a result of chemical exposure and/or contamination. These matters typically include thousands of plaintiffs seeking...
Katherine King is an attorney with Kean Miller in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where her practice focuses on Administrative / Regulatory Law , Communications Law, and Energy Law. She advises clients on project development and electric regulatory matters involving a wide range of generation projects. Katherine regularly works with electric generators and project developers on structuring generation projects to meet business objectives while complying with federal energy regulatory requirements and ...
Sarah A. Kirkpatrick is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Energy Law. Sarah A., who practices law in Shreveport, Louisiana, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Sarah A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Steven S. Goldenberg is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Energy Law. Steven S., who practices law in Red Bank, New Jersey, has been recognized since 2001. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Steven S. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Dodd is a business lawyer with a background in corporate, tax, securities and real estate law. He works with a wide range of business clients, including financial institutions, venture-backed companies, venture capital investors, and non-profit institutions. He uses a variety of financing techniques, including debt, equity, and tax-advantaged investment structures, to help clients organize, structure and capitalize their businesses. He provides advice on the design, implementation and operati...
Hugh M. Ray III is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Energy Law and Oil and Gas Law. Hugh M., who practices law in Houston, Texas, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Hugh M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Julia is one of the four founding partners of Rock Creek Energy Group. Julia has focused her practice primarily on hydroelectric and electric power matters since 2003. She provides strategic counsel to a broad variety of electric industry participants, including independent power producers, power marketers, investor-owned utilities, and state and municipal entities. She advises clients on issues involving the Federal Power Act (FPA), National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, ...
Craig Moyer is a member of the firm’s Management Committee and leads Manatt Energy and Environmental. His practice focuses on all aspects of environmental and energy law. Among other honors, he was selected in 2014 as one of the Top 100 Lawyers in California by the Daily Journal. Craig has repeatedly been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America , and in 2013 received the “West Coast Law Firm of the Year” by Oil & Gas Awards. Craig has advised clients in connection with...
Army joined the Firm in March 2011, bringing the knowledge and experience he earned over the course of his successful entrepreneurial career. His practice focuses on creditors’ rights, bankruptcy, and commercial transactional work for corporate, oil, gas and energy clients in Louisiana and Texas. Army is also one of only seven Sub-Chapter V bankruptcy trustees selected by the Department of Justice’s United States Trustee Program to serve in the State of Louisiana. Army is a skille...
John S. Decker P.C. is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Energy Law. John S., who practices law in Washington, District of Columbia, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which John S. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Dane McKaughan is an energy attorney who focuses on energy-related regulatory and litigation matters, with clients from both the regulated sector, such as gas utilities and pipelines, electric utilities and transmission providers, and the unregulated sector, such as generators and large-scale load. Dane has extensive experience representing clients before state regulators, including the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT), the Electricity Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and the Rai...
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.