With heavy regulation of the public utilities industry, including electric, gas, water, sewer, telecommunications, transportation, and pipeline, it is important for clients to be represented by attorneys with extensive knowledge and experience in this specialized area of law. Butler Snow’s Public Utilities group strategizes and counsels on emerging issues, is conversant in developments in public utilities laws, and works collaboratively with environmental, municipal, business law, antitrust and tax attorneys, providing our clients with a comprehensive approach to handling a variety of issues.

A substantial public utilities practice predates the firm’s formation in 1954; and today, the practice encompasses nearly all phases of the industry. Our attorneys have extensive experience in this practice area including submitting filings, appearing before state and federal regulatory agencies, and handling appeals, bidding and procurement processes, compliance issues, and contract negotiation and drafting.

The firm has handled substantial cases involving issues between or concerning various providers, quality of service matters, contract claims, antitrust cases, acquisition matters, rate cases, and a variety of tax matters peculiar to these industries.

Butler Snow lawyers have long-practiced before many regulatory agencies and public service commissions in the Southeast, including the Mississippi Public Service Commission, the Tennessee Public Utilities Commission and its predecessors, the Arkansas Public Service Commission, the Georgia Public Service Commission, and the Kentucky Public Utilities Commission.

Clients of the firm include several large interstate and intrastate wire line carriers, cellular carriers, a number of non-regulated entities that own regulated carriers, electric generating companies, water and sewer companies and industrial users of electric and gas services. The firm served as Special Counsel to the Commission in litigated matters before the United States Supreme Court.