According to a firm press release, the Portland office will initially focus on assisting electric and natural gas utilities. All three partners have bring experience in utility and regulatory-related matters. McVee currently is general counsel for the Western Electricity Coordinating Council and Cobb is a former manager of federal regulation for Arizona Public Service Company.
“We have had our eye on Portland and the Pacific Northwest for some time because of the region’s high concentration of utilities and related agencies, and because of the significant renewable energy development throughout the Western U.S.,” said Robert W. Webb Jr., chairman and managing partner of Troutman Sanders. “Portland provides us with a great opportunity to expand our Energy practice, which will instantly become the region’s largest with access to our more than 130 lawyers whose practices focus primarily on servicing clients in the energy industry worldwide.”
Troutman Sanders already has offices in San Diego and Orange County, Calif., “but needed to be closer to key clients in the Pacific Northwest,” said Webb.
Skidmore joined Troutman Sanders in 2007. Prior to that she worked at Pacific Power as general counsel from 2003-2007. Skidmore will focus her practice on representing electric utilities on transmission, interconnection and compliance matters, working with a major renewable energy developer on integration of renewable resources, and representing utilities before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and Bonneville Power Administration.
“We’re excited about our entry into the Portland market and in becoming a new member of the city’s dynamic business community,” said Skidmore.
McVee will focus his practice in the field of electric reliability compliance, as well as regional transmission planning processes. He will counsel clients on, among other things, reliability standards development and compliance, critical infrastructure protection and transactions.
Cobb will focus on regulatory issues affecting the electric utility industry, primarily before FERC. He will counsel clients on, among other things, transmission service policy and compliance issues, as well as power sales regulatory issues.
Troutman Sanders is an international law firm with more than 650 lawyers and 16 offices in North America, Europe and Asia.