Why you should hire Troutman Sanders LLP

Troutman Sanders has one of the largest and most successful Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) practices in the United States, with over 25 attorneys engaged exclusively or largely on FERC matters.  Unlike most firms in the Pacific Northwest, the attorneys in Troutman Sanders’ Portland office have substantial experience defending organizations in FERC audits and investigations.  The Portland office attorneys also have significant in-house experience, working directly with system operators and engineers through most of their careers.  Most applicable to the scope of the requested representation, however, is that no other firm in the country has attorneys with a comparable level of experience working with the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) and Western Electric Coordinating Council (WECC). 

The combination of firm experience, system knowledge, and a Pacific Northwest office means that Troutman Sanders can provide the most effective counsel on NERC reliability matters.  Troutman Sanders Northwest office team members include the managing partner of the Portland office, Lara Skidmore, partner, Matthew McVee, and associate, Karen Kruse.  

As Associate General Counsel at PacifiCorp, Ms. Skidmore managed the company’s defense against a major FERC enforcement action, one of the first enforcement actions following the implementation of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (authorizing FERC’s $1 million per day penalty authority).  Before joining PacifiCorp, Ms. Skidmore was an attorney in the Office of General Counsel for the Bonneville Power Administration from 1994-2003, with experience advising both the transmission organization and the power trading floor.  As former General Counsel to WECC, Mr. McVee can provide an unparalleled understanding of electric reliability requirements and insight into the WECC and NERC compliance programs.  While at WECC, Mr. McVee advised on all aspects of the organization, including data privacy, cyber-security, reliability standards compliance, software vendor contracts, compliance monitoring and enforcement, transmission planning processes, international agreements, and NERC Rules of Procedure.  Ms. Kruse, an associate with the Portland office, provides additional experience representing utilities in the Eastern Interconnection in enforcement actions by other Regional Entities. 

If a matter should arise that requires additional support, Troutman Sanders can provide a number of additional attorneys with background in NERC electric reliability compliance and FERC policy.  Amie Colby and Jeffrey Jakubiak have represented utilities in compliance matters before the SERC Reliability Corporation (SERC) and ReliabilityFirst Corporation (RFC).  Additionally, Troutman Sanders can call upon the services of Washington D.C. office partners such as Dan Larcamp, former Chief of Staff to FERC Chairman Kelliher, to provide key FERC advice and representation.