McCarter & English is pleased to announce that Christine Ryan and Allen O’Neil have joined its Washington, DC office as partners in the firm’s highly regarded energy practice.
“The addition of Christine and Allen enhances our leading role in representing consumer-owned energy providers, state regulators and consumer advocates serving the interests of energy end-users,” said Ira Gottlieb, firmwide leader of McCarter’s Environment and Energy Practice Group. “They are widely recognized leaders in their fields, and we are extremely pleased that they have chosen to join us.”
John Gregg, Managing Partner of the Washington, DC office, said the former Holland & Knight, LLP attorneys will broaden the firm’s current energy offerings. “They are a great fit for our office and energy practice. They are familiar names in the public power arena and will deepen our project development, rural electric cooperative financing and transactional capabilities. This is part of McCarter’s plan to continue to expand its Washington office.”
Christine Ryan has represented her public power clients in almost every aspect of their businesses. She focuses on large-scale electric project development, helping clients take power plants from the drawing board to commercial operation. She has a strong background in energy markets, power plant development, restructuring matters, power supply planning, power purchase contracts, electric cooperative financing, transmission and federal power marketing.
Allen O’Neil brings more than a decade of experience with energy financing and electric facility acquisitions, development and operations and wholesale energy transactions to enhance the firm’s practice in these areas. He has extensive experience in developing and negotiating financing arrangements with the Rural Utilities Service, National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation, CoBank and other lenders. He also represents clients in negotiating, drafting, and administering power purchase contracts, including those involving renewable resources, as well as asset purchase, joint ownership and operation, and operation and maintenance agreements.