Mike practices in the firm's Energy practice group, with a focus on energy regulation, climate change and energy corporate acquisition and finance transactions. He has been involved in mergers, acquisitions, construction and project financing assignments in the non-utility generation, renewables, gas and electric, emissions credits, rural cooperatives, energy and emissions trading, and manufacturing industries. Some of these transactions involve acquisitions, debt restructurings or project financings for some of the largest undertakings in the United States involving these industries, with a composite value exceeding $14 billion. He is national co-chair of the American Bar Association Renewable Energy Resources Committee for the 2008-2009 year, and ABA Vice Chair of the Committee on Energy & Environmental Finance.
In over 30 years of legal service, Mike has worked with domestic and international companies, gas and electric utilities and their unregulated subsidiaries, advanced energy technologies and industrial companies, energy project developers, construction companies, natural gas pipeline and distribution companies, trade associations, financial institutions and energy technology funds, universities and embassies in more than 35 states and 20 foreign countries.
Prior to joining Thompson Hine, Mike was a partner with an international law firm in Washington, D.C. and has also practiced as a partner with a major Wall Street firm. Earlier in his career, he was employed at the American Gas Association (AGA) in various legal capacities, representing the natural gas transmission and distribution industries on federal legislative, tax and regulatory matters related to gas production, LNG, gas pricing, interstate pipeline development and curtailments. He has served the Cogeneration and Independent Power Coalition, the Clean Coal Coalition, the Natural Gas Vehicles Coalition, the American Council on Renewable Energy, the Industrial Energy Consumers of America, the Ohio Fuel Cell Coalition, the Ohio Manufacturers' Association, and the Aluminum Association on a wide range of energy, climate change, capital formation and advanced energy technology issues.
Mike has also represented clients before the Department of Energy, FERC, SEC, EPA and Congressional committees, various federal departments and agencies, and state commissions and agencies on electric energy, renewable energy, natural gas, and energy tax proposals. For the past 30 years, he has been regularly invited to testify before congressional committees, various federal departments and agencies, and state commissions and agencies on electric energy, renewable energy, natural gas, and energy tax proposals.
In addition to receiving his J.D. and B.A. degrees, Mike attended Brown University in 1970 and completed Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management's program in 2002.
Mike is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and the commonwealth of Virginia.
Education
- University of Baltimore School of Law, J.D., 1975, cum laude
- Providence College, B.A., 1971, Political Science; cum laude, President's Council (2002 – Present)
Representative Matters
Professional & Civic Involvement
Corporate Boards
Power Generating, Inc. (1992 - 1996); (2003 - 2004)Federal Strategies, Inc. (1987 - 1989)
Caterpillar Capital, Inc. (1986 - 1988)
Professional Associations
Capital Markers Partnership Green Building Underwriting Committee; Advisor and Commentator (2008 - Current)
LEED EA TAG Committee of U.S. Green Building Council (2005 - Current)
American Bar Association (1975 - 1996); (2003 - Current)
American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE); Advisory Committee to President and Board of Directors (2002 - Current)
Ohio Fuel Cell Coalition (2006 - current)
Energy Bar Association (EBA): Chairman, EBA (1980 - Current); Chairman, EBA Cogeneration and Small Power Production Committee (1986 - 1987)
Virginia Bar Association (1982 - Current)
District of Columbia Bar Association (1975 - Current)
Independent Private Infrastructure Association (IPIA); Co-Chair (2004 - 2006)
Mid-Atlantic Independent Power Producers (1984 - 1990)
Independent Power Producers of New York (1982 - 1990)
Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition (1988 - 1990); Led alternative fuel industry development for NGVs
United States Export Council for Renewable Energy (USECRE) (1986 - 1990)
Energy Michigan (1982 - 1989)
Clean Coal Coalition (1984 - 1988); General Counsel; Led seminal efforts to establish policy recognition of clean coal technologies
Cogeneration and Independent Power Coalition of America, Inc. CIPCA): President (1982 - 1985); General Counsel (1982 - 1988); Led seminal efforts to establish the cogeneration, renewables and independent power generation industry in the United States
American Cogeneration Association (1980 - 1988)
American Gas Association (1977 - 1988)
Midwest Gas Association (1977 - 1986)
National Academy of Sciences, Committee on District Heating (1984)
American Council for Capital Formation (1977 - 1980)
Professional Activities
Chair of the National Advisory Board of the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs at Ohio University (2006 - Current)
Serves at the Voinovich School on matters related to energy, economics and the environment (2005 - Current)
Publications
- Contributor · Sustainability Law Review, American University, 2007-2008
- Contributor · Public Utilities Fortnightly, 2004 – Present
- Contributing Editor · Electric Light and Power, 1999 – Present
- "Cogeneration and Independent Power Production," Co-Author · Energy Law Transactions, 2003
- Contributing Editor · Independent Energy, 1986 – 1996
Presentations
- Webinars with American Bar Association and Congressional Quarterly
- Guest lecturer, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, University of Wisconsin, Ohio University, Georgetown University
- Invited speaker, New York Society of Security Analysts, American Gas Association, Edison Electric Institute, Harvard University Kennedy School Energy Policy Center, National Association of Regulated Utility Commissioners (NARUC), NARUC Biennial Regulatory Conference, Ohio Manufacturers' Association, Southeastern Electric Exchange, Conference Board of Canada, IBM Utility Executives Conference, IPP Forum, Williamsburg Public Utilities Conference, Council of Industrial Boiler Owners, Association of College Physical Plant Administrators, NY Bar Association – Public Utility Section, Infocast Green Building Summit and Green Buidling Finance and Investment Forum
- Advisory board member; programs of McGraw-Hill, International Business Forum, Financial Times, Euromoney, Exnet, Bloomberg on energy and related financing issues
- Ohio Energy Summit, Ohio University, Columbus, OH
- Ohio USCEO, Columbus, OH
Awards & Honors
- Named in Who’s Who in America (2002, 2003 Editions)
- Recognized in Who’s Who Legal (2002, 2005 Editions)
- Named as one of the leading Project Finance Counsel in the world by Law Business Research (2003, 2007)
- Recognized by Euromoney in its World’s Leading Energy and Natural Resource Lawyers Directory (1997)
- Recognized as one of the top leaders of the IPP industry at 25th anniversary of Independent Energy magazine (1996)
- Chosen by industry peers as an Industry All-Star by Independent Energy magazine (1993)
- Named to nationwide Who’s Who in Energy (1990), ranked as one of the top 75 lawyers of the more than 10,000 energy and public utility lawyers nationwide