Downey Brand acquires San Francisco law firm Goodin MacBride’s public utilities practice
October 1, 2021
Sacramento Business Journal and S.F. Business Times
An article in the Sacramento Business Journal and the San Francisco Business Times highlights Downey Brand’s strategic expansion of its natural resources practice with the addition of six attorneys from San Francisco-based Goodin MacBride specializing in public utility regulation. The combined experience and excellent reputation of the Goodin MacBride team is a tremendous addition to Downey Brand’s multidisciplinary natural resources practice, one of the largest and most diverse natural resources practices in all of California. With the arrival of veteran attorneys Thomas MacBride, James Squeri, Michael Day, Brian Cragg, Megan Somogyi, and associate Nirvesh Sikand the firm has expanded to 16 attorneys in its San Francisco office and more than 100 attorneys firm-wide.
Read the full article below, or subscribers can view the article on the Sacramento Business Journal’s website.
By Jake Abbott, Staff Writer, Sacramento Business Journal
Sacramento’s largest law firm, Downey Brand LLP, is expanding its natural resources department following the recent acquisition of San Francisco-based Goodin MacBride’s Public Utility Regulation Practice.
Six attorneys previously with Goodin MacBride Squeri & Day LLP specializing in public utility regulation will join Downey Brand’s San Francisco office, which increases the office’s size by 50%, said Scott Shapiro, managing partner for Downey Brand.
“We already have one of the broadest and deepest natural resources practices, but we do have clients that appear before the (California Public Utilities Commission) that need those services so we are just thrilled to finally bring those services in-house and provide a truly full service to our clients,” Shapiro told the Business Journal. “We also have a lot of clients that often have interest in CPUC matters, so we will be able to represent them in those matters as well.”
In addition to representing clients before the Public Utilities Commission and other state regulatory agencies, the Goodin MacBride attorneys have assisted clients in appeals of regulatory agency decisions and advocate on legislative issues affecting energy and utilities regulation throughout the state. Their clients include electric generators, energy storage developers, transmission companies, telecommunications carriers, natural gas pipeline and storage providers, petroleum pipelines and water utilities.
“We were attracted to Downey Brand because of their expertise in water, air quality, waste water management and other environmental regulatory matters,” said Michael Day, Goodin MacBride managing partner and former acting general counsel of the Public Utilities Commission, in a news release. “Clearly they understand what is necessary to practice administrative law before California state agencies, and that convinced us that our practice would fit in well with the firm’s overall strategic goals.”
Those joining Downey Brand include Michael Day, Thomas MacBride, James Squeri, Brian Cragg, Megan Somogyi, and associate Nirvesh Sikand.
Downey Brand was founded 95 years ago in Sacramento. It operates in California and Nevada, with its headquarters on Capitol Mall in Sacramento and offices in San Francisco, Stockton and Reno. A total of 77 attorneys and 69 support staff worked out of its local office as of Jan. 4, making it the area’s largest firm in the most recent list compiled by the Business Journal.