ORANGE COUNTY – July 10, 2019 - Global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP expanded its California roster and Energy Practice with the addition of energy attorney Thomas R. Brill as of counsel in the firm’s Orange County office. Brill joins the firm from Sempra Energy, where he was Special Counsel and Director of Regulatory and Legislative Policy.
“A highly regarded energy attorney, Tom has been involved in practically every electricity and natural gas restructuring proceeding in California for over three decades. We are excited to welcome him to Greenberg Traurig. His considerable experience in the renewable energy sector will be of great value to Greenberg Traurig clients in the region and globally,” Orange County office Co-Managing Shareholders Susan L. Heller and Bruce Fischer said in a joint statement.
“Tom is an outstanding lawyer who has helped to pioneer regulatory and legislative policies surrounding the conversion of conventional energy sources to unconventional energy and introducing retail and wholesale market competition in the electricity and natural gas industries,” noted a joint statement by Kenneth M. Minesinger and William Garner, who co-chair the Energy & Natural Resources Practice at Greenberg Traurig. “He has comprehensive experience in regulatory litigation, as well as strategy and policy development to address rapidly changing laws, regulations, and market dynamics as well as technological disruptions that are leading to significant changes in the energy industry and is therefore an excellent addition and complement to our robust practice.”
In addition to Sempra Energy, Brill has served in in-house positions at San Diego Gas & Electric Company, Pacific Enterprises, the Southern California Gas Company, and the American Gas Association. He has served as legal counsel on a wide range of matters before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), including proceedings to obtain regulatory approval of a significant merger between two utility holding companies, and has lobbied before these organizations, as well as the California Legislature and the United States Congress. He earned his J.D. from Southwestern University and his B.A. from University of California at Santa Barbara.
“I am excited to work with a deep bench of top-notch lawyers and provide clients with the platform and depth of services Greenberg Traurig offers,” said Brill who has a long track record serving as lead counsel in regulatory proceedings to introduce competition and reduce emissions in California’s electricity and natural gas markets. He also developed legal, regulatory, legislative and public affairs strategies to address Community Choice Aggregation, implement Greenhouse Gas and carbon reduction initiatives, introduce wholesale and retail market competition in the electricity and natural gas industries, address wildfire risk issues, and restructure utility rate design to accommodate changes that are taking place in the energy industry.
About Greenberg Traurig’s Energy & Natural Resources Practice: Greenberg Traurig’s Energy & Natural Resources Practice has broad transactional, regulatory, and litigation experience across many sectors of the energy industry, including oil and gas, LNG, electricity, coal, wind, solar and other renewable energy sources. The firm’s exceptional multi-office platform, including key offices in major energy centers, enables us to serve and implement legal strategies for energy clients throughout the U.S., and in international markets including Latin America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
About Greenberg Traurig, LLP: Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GT) has more than 2,100 attorneys in 41 locations in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. GT has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, diversity, and innovation, and is consistently among the largest firms in the U.S. on the Law360 400 and among the Top 20 on the Am Law Global 100. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com; Twitter: @GT_Law.