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Dan L. CarrollPartner621 Capitol Mall |
Areas of Law:Energy, Professional Responsibility |
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Admitted to Practice in:California |
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| Dan Carroll is a partner in the firm, where he has practiced in the Sacramento office since 1983. As the firm's General Counsel, he advises the firm as to professional responsibility, professional liability, and risk management issues, including supervising the firm's risk management department. In addition to these responsibilities, Dan is a former chair of the firm's Natural Resources department and a current member of the Energy, Land Use, and Minerals practice group. Dan specializes in representing clients with respect to public utility regulatory issues related to electricity, natural gas, water, and transportation. While he has extensive experience representing parties before the California Public Utilities Commission, he has also represented energy clients in civil litigation and transactional matters. Dan saw both the good and the bad during California's efforts at electrical restructuring while he was cross-examining a utility witness during emergency hearings in 2000. In fact, he was later quoted in a national industry publication for his part in those hearings. Current and prior energy clients include large industrial users of electricity, independent gas storage providers, publicly owned utilities, California's smallest investor-owned electric utility (which has no access to the intra- or interstate transmission grids), and individual businesses. Dan also successfully represented a water conservation district in opposing recovery by a water utility of costs of involvement in the state water project. He has also advised attorneys outside the firm and other non-attorney clients on issues related to attorney ethics. Dan actively participates in community and professional activities. He has been a member of the State Bar's Standing Committee on Professional Responsibility and Conduct since November, 2007, and was recently appointed to a full three-year term beginning in 2009. In that capacity, he presents regularly on attorney ethics issues. He currently serves on the Board of the Sacramento Traditional Jazz Society Foundation and is also its Vice President. He is a past president of the Sacramento chapter of the Federal Bar Association, serving in that office, and as a member of the steering committee in 1999, when the Sacramento chapter hosted the Federal Bar Association's National Convention. Dan has been an attorney coach for the Elk Grove High School Mock Trial team for the past six years, and he lead the team to the California State Mock Trial championship in March 2007. In addition, he has also served on the governing council of St. John's Lutheran Church. Dan graduated from the University of California, Davis (A.B., magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, 1974; J.D., Order of the Coif, 1982). Prior to attending law school, Dan taught high school English in Petaluma, California. After law school and before entering practice, he was a law clerk to Justice Warren Matthews of the Alaska Supreme court. ExperienceEnergy Trial counsel on behalf of irrigation district in trial of competing plans of reorganization of PG&E and the California Public Utilities Commission in the bankruptcy of PG&E. Lead trial counsel for ad hoc group of industrial energy customers in proceedings at CPUC to design and institute cost responsibility surcharges for direct access customers as part of aftermath of California energy crisis. Lead trial counsel on behalf of independent gas storage company in numerous regulatory proceedings, including application for certificate of public convenience and necessity, regulated utility Biennial Cost Allowance Proceeding, gas industry restructuring proceeding, expansion proceeding of another independent gas storage company, complaint proceeding brought by investor-owned utility, and natural gas storage and transmission general rate cases. Lead regulatory and trial counsel for small investor-owned electrical utility, including pursuing its first general rate case at California Public Utilities Commission. Lead trial counsel for ad hoc group of industrial energy customers in December 2000-January 2001 emergency proceedings at California Public Utilities Commission regarding requests for emergency rate increase from PG&E and SoCalEdison and in proceedings to establish cost responsibility surcharges of direct access customers. Substantial involvement in regulatory and litigation activities concerning implementation of electric restructuring in California, including:
Advised client on impacts of California public utility laws on valuation of closed federal military installation. Lead attorney in action to establish value of steam used to power geothermal power plant. Trial counsel in action concerning reformation of sale documents involving geothermal properties. Other Public Utilities Commission Representation Commercial and General Business Lead attorney in complex litigation defending against claim of improper termination of office furniture distribution relationship, litigated in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of California. Lead attorney in suit to invalidate local ordinance banning personal watercraft from river. Public Contracts Lead attorney in defense of an attempt to apply civil rights statutes to public contract awards. Lead attorney in counseling of a private client concerning a procurement for police motorcycles. Lead attorney in bid protests involving provision of carnival services to county and state fairs. Administrative proceedings regarding procurement of Medi-Cal claims administration. Litigation of MBE/WBE/DVBE issues. Professional Responsibility/Other Former Law Clerk for Justice Warren W. Matthews, Jr. of the Supreme Court of Alaska Professional
Honors MEMBERSHIPSNamed to The Best Lawyers in America in the area of Public Utility Law All California courts, United States District Courts, Eastern and Northern Districts of California and United States Tax Court, Admitted to Practice Sacramento County Bar Association, Administrative and Public Law Sections, Member Milton L. Schwartz American Inn of Court, Barrister Conference of California Public Utility Counsel, Member Energy Bar Association, Member Judicial Advisory Committee for United States District Court, Eastern District of California, Former Member; Eastern District Conference Planning Committee, Former Co-Chair Federal Bar Association, Sacramento Chapter, Former President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary and Program Committee Chair Federal Bar Association Convention; Former CLE Chair; Convention Planning Committee, Former Member State Bar of California, Litigation Section, Member Conference of California Public Utility Counsel, Member California Municipal Utilities Association, Member EDUCATIONUniversity of California,
Davis (J.D., Order of the Coif) PUBLICATIONSU.C. Davis Law Review, 1981-1982, Executive Editor 14 University of California, Davis Law Review 669 “Comment: Labor Strife and UCC Section 2-615: One Strike and You're Out?” 1981, Co-Author PRESENTATIONSCalifornia Municipal Utilities Association, "Conflicts of Interest: An Overview, and Two Case Studies," March 2009, Speaker California Conference of Public Utility Counsel annual meeting, “Ethical Conflict of Interest Issues,” September 2002, Speaker Western Chapter of Energy Bar Association meeting, “The Face at the End of the Line: End User Concerns,” September 2002, Panel Moderator California Manufacturers Association energy conference “What Large Customers Want,” Summer 2002, Speaker Energy Bar Association annual midwestern meeting "Through a Glass, Darkly: A California Retrospective," 2001, Speaker The Great California Power Rush, “What the Customers Want and Still Can't Get,” February 1998, Lecturer Competition in Metering & Billing, “Contracts and Legal Structures for Relationships Between Players in the New Market,” December 1997, Lecturer Buying and Selling Electricity in the New Age Western Power Market Conference, “Tools of the Trade: End User Purchasing Strategies in the New Market,” December 1997, Lecturer California State Bar, Continuing Education of the Bar, “Preparing For, Taking, and Using Depositions,” Spring 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, Lecturer California State Bar, Continuing Education of the Bar, “Compelling, Opposing and Enforcing Discovery in State Court,” Spring 1993, Fall 1995, Winter 1996, Lecturer California State Bar, Continuing Education of the Bar, “Fundamentals of Civil Procedure Before Trial,” a 4-day course, 1993, Lecturer CHARITABLEElk Grove High School , Mock Trial Team, Attorney Coach Sacramento Lutheran Development Society, Former Member Board of Directors Elk Grove Park Advisory Council (an advisory council of the Elk Grove Community Services District), Member St. John's Lutheran Church, Council, Finance Committee and Youth Ministry Committee, Former Member Elk Grove Unified School District, Entrepreneur Study Group, Former Member Elk Grove Community Planning Advisory Council, Former Member Sutter Hospital Foundation, Major Gifts Committee, Former Member Sacramento Old City Association, Planning Committee, Former Member |
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