Our Energy and Utilities group has grown from go-to counsel in Ohio to a valued provider of energy industry legal services throughout the Midwest. We have successfully resolved many of Ohio’s most significant utility cases and have added to that foundation by expanding our services footprint to include Indiana and Illinois, and beyond. With virtual hearings becoming the norm, we are no longer as constrained by state lines, which allows us to actively participate before several state commissions. The experience Calfee’s team brings to a utility matter is considered to be unmatched by our clients and includes decades of in-the-trenches litigation and negotiation experience. There is a reason our clients have trusted us with their multi-billion-dollar regulatory litigation.
We understand that the ability to negotiate and bring people together, with a deep understanding of policy objectives and political limitations, is an essential skill in the regulatory world. Public utility proceedings are unique in that they involve all of the issues of traditional litigation – demanding counsel with experience in litigating major cases and deep subject-matter knowledge – while also requiring a host of interactions with governmental authorities and an appreciation for policy-driven outcomes. Indeed, utilities must be conscious of the potential impact litigation may have on commission staff, local governments and potential legislative involvement. Calfee’s knowledge and expertise in this area allow us to be a full service provider, structured and operated in a manner that recognizes that utility issues significantly impact the public and, therefore, have fundamental governmental implications.
Our state regulatory clients include some of the nation’s largest electric utilities, an independent transmission company, and Ohio’s largest municipal electric utility, as well as investor-owned and municipal water and sewer utilities, natural gas distribution utilities, local telephone and cellular telecommunications carriers, brokers, and select industrial customers.
We represent clients before state utility commissions in rate proceedings, territory expansion, rulemaking and complaint proceedings, merger approvals, and restructuring proceedings, among others. We represent interested parties before the Ohio Power Siting Board in facility siting reviews.
U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” Rankings
Calfee was selected for inclusion in the 2023 "Best Law Firms" rankings by U.S. News – Best Lawyers in Energy Regulatory Law (Regional Tier 1 Cleveland) and Energy Law (Regional Tier 2 Cleveland).
"Calfee, Halter & Griswold is my go-to law firm, in an emergency as well as for longer-term strategic planning. Jim Lang is a consummate professional, an excellent trial lawyer, and the state's best public utility regulatory lawyer. Their team always gets the job done quickly and efficiently and helps develop creative and effective strategies."
– Calfee client, as reported by U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” rankings report
