Orrick Expands Energy Transition Team with Top California Energy Regulatory Adviser

• Patrick Ferguson joins as a partner in our Energy & Infrastructure practice in San Francisco, focused on helping clients in the energy transition space navigate the demanding regulatory environment in California and the Western U.S.
• Patrick guides energy transition and energy tech projects, navigating regulatory policy matters for clients before the California Public Utilities Commission, California Independent System Operator and the California Energy Commission, among others.
• Patrick, who co-chaired Davis Wright Tremaine’s energy practice, is the 9^th partner to join our global E&I team since the beginning of last year.

With a deep background advising independent power producers, as well as utilities and community choice aggregators, Patrick’s wide-ranging practice covers regulatory policy and transactions involving renewable energy and capacity sales, energy storage, offshore wind and transmission projects, carbon trading and beyond. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Power Association of Northern California, and he previously worked as in house commercial and regulatory counsel with a wind developer.

“We are at an important inflection point in California’s energy transition, with significant amounts of new solar and storage capacity planned or installed each year, and an anticipated offshore wind boom, all occurring against the backdrop of complex state regulatory requirements as well as compelling incentives under the federal Inflation Relief Act,” said Orrick E&I partner Rohit Sachdev, who has worked with Patrick on recent energy transactions. “Patrick’s unique, deep experience in both the regulatory framework and transactional setting in California energy markets will bolster our already market-leading energy transition and renewables practice. We are thrilled to welcome him to our team.”

“The market is undergoing an unprecedented transformation, and California will have a profound influence in guiding that transformation globally,” Patrick said. “I’m excited to join a platform known for innovating on behalf of the best clients and most interesting and novel energy transition projects.”

Orrick’s U.S. renewables practice was rated Band 1 nationwide by Chambers Global for 2022, and also ranked #3 for renewables globally by inspiratia in Q3 2022.