Thomas Knight represents several of the leading interstate natural gas pipeline companies, as well as local gas distribution companies, merchant generator interests and oil pipeline companies, on matters before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. He also advises such clients on general contract, tariff and rate matters. In addition, Mr. Knight is a member of the Firm’s Corporate and Securities practice group representing a wide range of clients on transactional and general corporate matters, including as the long-time lead transaction counsel for a top-10 multiple system operator.
Prior to joining the Firm in 2006, Mr. Knight was a senior associate at a boutique communications and energy law firm in Washington, D.C. He represented many top tier pipeline, utility, cable television, telecommunications and broadcast radio companies in their acquisitions, divestitures, regulatory and general corporate work.
Education
- J.D., cum laude, American University, Washington College of Law, 1996
- B.A., Political Science, Johns Hopkins University, 1993
A.Z. Hartman Scholarship Recipient
Bar Admissions
- District of Columbia, 1998
- New York, 1997
- Massachusetts, 1996
Admitted To Practice
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeal for Veterans Claims
Representative Experience
- Represent a natural gas pipeline in its 256 mile, $520 million expansion into the Phoenix metropolitan area, including before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
- Represent a joint venture natural gas pipeline in its Section 7(c) application for a new 500 mile, $1.3 billion pipeline from Texas to Alabama.
- Represent a joint venture natural gas pipeline in its Section 7(c) application for a new 185 mile, $1.2 billion pipeline from Arkansas to Mississippi.
- Represent a natural gas pipeline in its 567 mile, $2.4 billion expansion project in Florida.
- Represent an oil pipeline company in Texas before FERC, including preparation of tariffs and periodic filings.
- Represent an offshore oil and natural gas pipeline company on abandonment, service issues, and jurisdictional matters.
- Represent a generator in a proceeding to reform the ISO’s queue practices for open access transmission and energy market tariff.
- Represent a producer in its successful challenge to proposed changes to system pressures that would have shut-in production.
- Represent a competing pipeline and Arizona local distribution company and electric power company in a comprehensive rate case of a major interstate natural gas pipeline.
- Represent several major interstate natural gas pipelines in their comprehensive rate cases before FERC.
- Represent a natural gas storage company in its defense of a Natural Gas Act Section 5 complaint and resulting favorable settlement.
- Represented various clients on obtaining approval to sell certain FERC-jurisdictional assets, including Dynegy’s sale of its Rockingham facility to Duke per section 203 of the Federal Power Act, and Southern Union Company’s acquisition of its local gas and electric distribution companies and subsequent divestitures of same, including the sale of New England Gas Division to National Grid.
- Represented interstate natural gas pipelines on obtaining approvals and certificates for new facilities, including expansion of largest LNG import terminal in North America, Natural Gas Act Section 7(f) determinations and wholesale replacement of compressors.
- Represented a leading interstate natural gas pipeline in its acquisitions of several billion dollars worth of pipeline assets, including properties out of the Enron bankruptcy.
- Lead transaction counsel for a top-10 multiple system operator (MSO) in its numerous transactions over the course of several years that added approximately 345,000 cable and Internet subscribers, at a value in excess of $925 million.
- Represented a major waste and environmental service company in its acquisition of a mercury waste processing company.
- Represented a global renewable energy company in its various mergers and acquisitions, license agreements and loan agreements.
- Lead transaction counsel for numerous small cable operators in their divestitures to major MSOs.
- Lead transaction counsel for a one-time, top-50 MSO in the sale of its cable systems located coast-to-coast to numerous purchasers as part of a bankruptcy restructuring.
- General corporate counsel for a leading East Coast Spanish-language radio station network, handling day-to-day matters, including refinancing of its existing debt, and lead transaction counsel for its numerous acquisitions and divestitures of radio stations on the East Coast.
- Represented a diversified utility and telecommunications company in the sales of its water, wastewater, gas and electric divisions and subsequent purchases of approximately 300,000 local telephone access lines in multiple states, at a value of over $1 billion from Verizon Communications and Qwest Communications.
- Represented the largest CLEC in Puerto Rico in the upgrading and modernization of its entire network.
Professional History
- Partner, Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell LLP
- Associate, Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell LLP (2006 - 2008)
- Associate, Fleischman and Walsh, L.L.P. (1998 - 2006)
Professional Affiliations & Achievements
- Member, Energy Bar Association - Natural Gas Regulation Committee
- Participant, The Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program
|
|