Energy, Infrastructure, & Utilities

Our legal knowledge is your power.

Our connected world is an ever-evolving grid of resources, technologies, and laws. Opportunities abound, as do obstacles and threats, which is why players throughout the energy and utilities marketplace rely on Howard & Howard—to help them close deals, grow their businesses, and navigate regulatory problems.

Our energy and utilities lawyers represent a wide range of energy industry participants—producers, developers, investors, service companies, marketers, landowners, local governments, and consumers—and our experience spans nearly all segments, including:

• Electricity
• Natural gas
• Renewables including solar, wind, hydroelectric, and geothermal power generation
• Cogeneration and combined heat and power

From generation to transmission to end use, we negotiate and facilitate both routine and complex transactions, such as:

• Mergers, acquisitions, and joint ventures
• Domestic and foreign project development and financing
• Land acquisition, licensing, and permitting
• Environmental compliance and due diligence
• Pipeline and transportation agreements
• Interconnection agreements
• Intellectual property involving fuel cells, solar technology, and nanotechnologies
• Gas and electricity marketing and trading
• Bulk power purchases
• Negotiation of leases and easements (wind farm, mineral, oil, and gas)

Our energy industry lawyers are equally well versed in the legal and business issues that concern stakeholders in the communication utilities space, such as private and public operators, carriers, real property owners and developers, franchising authorities, and trade associations. There, too, we offer a variety of services:

• Right-of-entry and right-of-way access
• Supplier agreements
• Fee payment reviews and facilities audits
• Cable franchise and permit negotiation, renewals, and transfers
• Facility siting and acquisition
• Cell tower leases
• Communications service access agreements

In such a highly competitive and highly controlled industry, clients rely on Howard & Howard to ensure compliance with the law, pursue and defend their rights in state and federal courts, and defend their interests in legislative hearings and administrative agency proceedings. Our regulatory and litigation experience encompasses:

• Enforcement of customer service standards and franchise obligations
• Regulatory reform and restructuring advocacy
• Creditors’ rights and insolvency
• Licensing and certification
• Determination of utility rates
• Breach of contract
• Property disputes

From our offices in Michigan, Illinois, Nevada, and California, we provide national coverage with local knowledge. Clients value not only our attention and dedication, but also our commitment to their unique goals and the advancement of our country’s energy, utility, and communications infrastructure.