Stoel Rives LLP, whose energy law practice comprises close to 100 attorneys, has announced that Jon Wellinghoff, chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), will join the firm upon completion of his service at FERC.
Wellinghoff submitted his resignation to President Barack Obama in May but said he would stay at his post until a successor was appointed. Although the president nominated Ron Binz, a former chairman of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, to take Wellinghoff's place in June, Binz later withdrew himself from consideration. According to a Bloomberg report at the time, he had faced strong opposition from Republicans claiming that he had a bias toward renewable energy over coal.
