Best Lawyers in America for Energy Law
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Gerald A. Sumida is a partner in Carlsmith Ball LLP's Honolulu office and Chair of the firm's Corporate & Business Practice Group. He concentrates on business structuring and operations, including corporate, limited liability company, joint venture and partnership matters; business acquisitions; sales and mergers; securities law; start-up company and venture capital financing; administrative and public utilities law; energy law, including energy project development and project finance; an...
John Reeks has worked with small independents, medium and large oil and gas companies in most phases of the energy and oil and gas industry including title work, mergers and acquisitions, litigation of landowner and royalty owner demands, matters involving gas contracts, oil, gas and mineral leases, development of oil and gas leases and title issues, disputes between operators and non-operators and lawsuits concerning environmental damages to property. He also has significant insurance defens...
Ms. Koonz focuses her practice in the areas of environmental and energy law, with an emphasis on environmental permitting and compliance, development and transfer of electric generation facilities, renewable and clean energy projects, coastal and port-area projects, and A-901 licensing. For over 25 years, Ms. Koonz has advised domestic and overseas businesses with respect to New Jersey state and federal environmental permitting, regulatory compliance and requisite scientific data to best mana...
Josh DeBottis has a broad base of experience in finance and corporate related areas focusing on the energy industry with a particular emphasis on renewable energy project finance. Josh represents financial institutions in the financing, construction, acquisition and sale of energy and infrastructure assets including solar, wind, coal and natural gas facilities. Prior to joining the firm, Josh practiced in the Charlotte office of Hunton & Williams.
Walter brings more than thirty-five years of experience providing representation, advice and counsel to businesses and individuals in their dealings with Indian tribes and public land management agencies, like the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service and New Mexico State Land Office. Walter’s practice is focused on natural resources, energy and environmental law. Clients throughout the west and across the country seek Walter’s advice in matters involving transac...
Patrick T. Zomer is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Energy Law and Energy Regulatory Law. Patrick T., who practices law in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Patrick T. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Charles Glen Bush is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Energy Law and Oil and Gas Law. Charles Glen, who practices law in Ridgeland, Mississippi, has been recognized since 2007. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Charles Glen is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Greg Curry focuses his litigation practice on complex commercial (including real estate and construction), oil and gas, insurance coverage, and environmental matters. Greg is recognized annually by his peers as one of the top lawyers in Texas. He has an active trial practice, having secured significant settlements and judgments for plaintiffs and defending numerous complex cases with substantial monetary claims. Greg works on a number of high profile and high risk domestic and international a...
Lee H. Ayres is principally a trial lawyer. He has extensive experience in civil litigation, including business and commercial disputes, oil and gas litigation, property disputes, natural resources litigation, products liability claims, professional malpractice defense, trucking defense, personal injury claims, fraud claims, insurance coverage, and insurance bad faith defense. Lee received his undergraduate and law degrees at Louisiana State University Law Center, where he was a member of the...
Alan Shoer knows energy, telecommunications and other public-utility issues inside and out having served in both industry and government. He’s worked as in-house general counsel and regulatory affairs director for regional utilities, as Rhode Island’s Department of Environmental Management’s General Counsel, and as the state’s Special Assistant Attorney General in key litigation before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Public Utility Commission. His nati...
Dennis Miller is a partner in and co-leads the Government Relations Practice Group, where he focuses on legislative and governmental relations, as well as public utility law. Dennis combines his corporate and public service experience to serve clients across a broad range of industries. Dennis has previously held the position of senate sergeant-at-arms for the Mississippi State Senate and served as a staff attorney in the Senate Legislative Services office. He has also served as senior attorn...
Larry Chisenhall has been engaged in the practice of regulatory and public utility law since 1976. His area of concentration has primarily been the representation of electric, natural gas, water, sewer, and telecommunications clients, both regulated and non-regulated, in all aspects of their regulatory and legal needs, including business transactions, financing, rate proceedings, compliance with regulations and rulings, certification proceedings, fuel and transportation contracts, right-of-wa...
Since 1978, John Mercer has concentrated his law practice in the areas of project and corporate finance and other complex transactions, with particular emphasis on the electric power industry. John has extensive experience and expertise in project finance, corporate finance and securities offerings, joint ventures and joint ownership arrangements, mergers and acquisitions, and independent power projects. In June 2009, John left his position as the long-time, firm-wide head of the Project Deve...
RICKY J. COX currently serves as the Managing Partner of the Gulfport office of Balch & Bingham LLP and is a member of the firm’s Energy; Corporate & Securities; and Real Estate, Lending and Commercial practice groups. Mr. Cox enjoys a diverse practice and regularly represents clients in a wide variety of utility and commercial matters, including energy and utility litigation; energy regulation and transactions; water and sewer utility regulation, transactions, and litigation; b...
Gordon has counseled clients in the power generation industry for over three decades, assisting private energy generators, banks, and contractors with matters ranging from insurance and warranty claims to crisis management. As a managing director of the alternative energy consulting firm Stratex Energy, he’s well-versed in the waste-to-energy, pulp and paper, biomass, and ethanol industries, as well as more traditional energy sources like oil and natural gas. He is also a Managing Direc...
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.