Best Lawyers in America for Energy Law

Having practiced energy law for over twenty-nine years, Wendy has been consistently recognized by Chambers USA as a leader in the field, describing her as “almost superhuman when it comes to managing a diverse group into a consistent regulatory position” in their 2010 rankings. In 2021, Chambers noted, “Wendy provides wise guidance on how best to address legal requirements in a manner that is both convincing and understandable” and also commended her “great leade...

A former Assistant General Counsel for the Missouri Public Service Commission, William "Trip" England is a utility lawyer practicing primarily in the area of telecommunications law. Since 1991, Trip has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America in the area of Communications Law and Energy Law. Trip is a former Vice Chairman of the Communications Committee of the Section of Public Utility Law; Communications and Transportation Law of the American Bar Association. He is a former president of t...

Mr. Alford represents public utilities and other clients in a variety of matters, including commercial and tort litigation, regulatory proceedings, and contract and property issues. Representative cases include construction disputes, securities actions, antitrust and unfair trade practice claims, medical licensing, and consumer litigation. Mr. Alford also counsels clients concerning regulatory compliance, employment, and general business issues. Mr. Alford graduated from Louisiana State Unive...

Stephen Fortson is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Energy Law. Stephen, 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 Stephen is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Grady Hurley is a partner in and co-leader of the maritime litigation, arbitration, and dispute resolution team and co-chair of the Energy, Environmental & Natural Resources Industry Team. Since 1979, he has focused on maritime, oilfield, and energy litigation. Grady has broad-ranging dispute resolution and transactional experience at the intersection of energy and maritime law, including in areas such as offshore energy exploration, production, and distribution, where a range of complex ...

Victoria Lauterbach is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Energy Law. Victoria, who practices law in Washington, District of Columbia, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Victoria is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Michael J. Connolly advises, counsels and represents clients on energy and utility regulatory and policy issues and in a wide variety of utility and energy related regulatory proceedings, including with respect to reliability issues, regulatory audits, regulatory complaint proceedings, utility rates and tariff matters. He has represented utility interests in connection with administrative rulemakings, including with respect to customer service, reliability, vegetation management, main extensi...

Walter Wright has more than 30 years of experience in environmental, energy (petroleum marketing), and water law. His expertise includes counseling clients on issues involving environmental permits, compliance strategies, enforcement defense, property redevelopment issues, environmental impact statements, and procurement/management of water rights. He routinely advises developers, lenders, petroleum marketers, and others about effective strategies for structuring real estate and corporate tra...

Practicing law since 1974, Taylor Porter Of Counsel Jim Ellis has focused on representing utility, energy, and other regulated companies on state and federal regulatory, corporate, merger and acquisitions, transactional, contract, and litigation matters. Upon graduating from Tulane Law School, he worked in Washington, D.C., for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the General Services Administration. He represented the executive agencies of the federal government and the Department of...

Sarah Stevenson is a shareholder in the Natural Resources Department and a litigator representing public entities and private businesses. Her natural resources experience focuses on water law, including water adjudications and interstate water compacts, and Native American law, including natural resource development projects on Native American land. She has advised clients developing projects on Native American land on issues regarding indigenous rights, jurisdiction, and contract formation. ...

Craig Duewall is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation and Energy Law. Craig, who practices law in Austin, Texas, has been recognized since 2022. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Craig is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Greg has wide-ranging experience representing public utilities, unregulated energy companies, electric generation companies, educational and governmental institutions, and other industry participants. He maintains a comprehensive energy and utility regulatory and transactional practice, with expertise in base rate cases, rate clause filings, reliability issues, public utility project siting petitions and appeals, mergers and acquisitions, renewable energy (including solar and offshore wind pr...

Lesley Firestone advises clients on a wide range of environmental matters, including permitting, regulatory compliance, and transactional support for the acquisition and development of contaminated properties. She also provides strategic counsel on environmental liability considerations in business transactions. Lesley regularly represents clients before the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services in matters involving Brownfield Agreements, underground storage tanks, solid waste r...

I am a trial lawyer. For over 30 years, I have litigated, tried, arbitrated, and appealed lawsuits involving virtually every substantive category of civil disputes. I have been board certified since 1990 in Civil Trial Law and Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. I always have and still immensely enjoy this work. Representing people and organizations as plaintiffs and defendants in legal disputes is challenging, fascinating, and rewarding work. I believe that ...

For more than a decade, I have worked to understand how environmental law impacts my clients. Identifying problems is only a part of what I do; what I most enjoy, and what my clients value, is finding solutions. For me, practicing law is about helping real people and businesses to succeed in an increasingly competitive marketplace. My early career as a lawyer prepared me to provide effective, commonsense guidance. I have closed asset purchases, conducted corporate due diligence, and served as...

Whitney L. Swift is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Energy Law, Environmental Law and Litigation - Environmental. Whitney L., who practices law in Austin, Texas, has been recognized since 2016. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Whitney L. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.