Michael J. Zimmer

Practices

• Energy
• Corporate Transactions & Securities
• Environmental

Professional Experience

Mike practices in the firm, with a focus on energy regulation, climate change and energy corporate, acquisition and project finance transactions. He has been involved in mergers, acquisitions, construction and project financing assignments in the power generation, renewables, natural gas and electric, cogeneration and independent power, 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 respective industries, with a composite value exceeding $14 billion. He is national co-chair for 2011-12 of the American Bar Association Energy & Environmental Markets and Finance ("EEMF") Committee, and ABA Vice Chair of the Committee on Renewable and Distributed Energy Resources for 2011-12(which he co-chaired in 2008-10). His leadership of the ABA EEMF Committee this year as co-chair was recognized by the ABA as Section Committee of the year in the fields of energy and environmental law.

In 35 years of legal service, Mike has worked with domestic and international companies, gas and electric utilities and their unregulated subsidiaries, advanced energy technology and industrial companies, energy project developers, construction 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. He has law firm experience in various management capacities and has served as Department, Practice Group, regional and Executive Committee members in the past 20 years in several Wall Street and global law firms. Earlier in his career, he was employed at the American Gas Association (AGA) as Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, 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 was named to the AGA Senior Management Group at 29. 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 of America on a wide range of energy, climate change, capital formation and advanced energy technology issues. He has also provided counsel to the USGBC, ASTM, the Capital Markets Partnership, the Green Standard and the Biomass Coordinating Council (BCC) on renewables, finance, green buildings and carbon management issues over the past decade.

Mike has also represented clients before the Department of Energy, FERC, SEC, EPA and Congressional committees, various federal departments, agencies, and state commissions and agencies on electric energy, renewable energy, natural gas, and energy tax proposals. 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 courses at Brown University in 1970 and Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management in 2002.

Mike is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia.

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 – 2011), Advisory Council to School of Business (2009 - Present)

• "The Fundamentals of Green Leasing," Co-Author · BNA's Environmental Due Diligence Guide, 2011
• "Access to Funding and Expertise Through ESCOS: Energy and Environmental Finance Alternatives," Author · ABA Energy and Resources Committees Newsletter, March 2011
• "Cogeneration and Independent Power Production," Co-Author · Energy Law Transactions, 2010
• Contributor · Sustainability Law Review, American University, 2007-2009
• Contributor · Public Utilities Fortnightly, 2004 – Present
• Contributing Editor · Electric Light and Power, 1999 – Present
• Contributing Editor · Independent Energy, 1986 – 1996

• Webinars with American Bar Association, ACORE 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 Building Finance and Investment Forum, Ohio UCEAO Conferences
• 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 and Ohio Energy Report, Columbus, OH
• Ohio USCEO, Columbus, OH
• GMCI, Green Building Summit, NY – co-chair

• 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
• Ground Breaking Lawyer Award, Public Utilities Fortnightly (2009)