Title: Of Counsel
Steve has practiced before the Texas Public Utility Commission since 1987.
He has also represented telecommunications carriers and other entities
before commissions in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma for over
10 years. His clients have included incumbent local exchange carriers,
competitive local exchange carriers, and interexchange carriers. While
at the Texas Public Utility Commission, he served as the Executive Assistant
to Chairman Paul Meek and as Assistant General Counsel. He has handled
a wide range of state regulatory matters in the public sector and in private
practice. In the telecommunications area, he has participated in rate
cases (traditional rate-of-return, incentive regulation, and TELRIC),
interconnection agreement negotiations and arbitrations, formal and informal
complaint cases and other dispute resolution proceedings, Section 271
investigations, certificate applications, universal service fund proceedings,
transaction approvals, and numerous rulemakings. He has also represented
utilities before regulators involving asset sales and merger and acquisition
approvals. He has represented electric utilities in rate cases and rulemakings,
as well as landowners and utilities in transmission line certification
proceedings. While serving as an Assistant Attorney General he represented
Texas state agencies before state and federal courts (trial and appellate)
in a variety of matters involving financial and insurance law regulations
and enforcement actions. Steve has also testified as an expert witness
on behalf of utilities before the Public Utility Commission of Texas,
as well as testifying before agencies in other states and the FCC. Finally,
he has represented and testified on behalf of clients before state legislative bodies.
Year Joined Firm
2006
Areas of Practice
Administrative Law, Telecommunications and Utilities
Banking
Real Estate
Taxation
Estate Planning, Probate
Certifications & Specialties
Administrative Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization
Bar Admissions
Texas, 1983
U.S. District Court Western District of Texas, 1985
Education
New York University School of Law, New York, New York
LL.M. – 1985
Major: Taxation
St. Mary’s University School of Law, San Antonio, Texas
J.D. – 1983
The University of Texas, Austin, Texas
B.B.A. – 1977
Major: Accounting
Delta Theta Phi
Honors and Awards
Briefing Attorney – Court of Appeals, 1983 – 1984
Editor, St. Mary’s Law Journal, 1982 – 1983
Who’s Who in American Law Schools, 1983
Professional Associations and Memberships
State Bar of Texas
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
Nebraska Society of Certified Public Accountants
Delta Theta Phi