Public Utility, Energy, Regulatory & Appellate Law

Public Utilities

We represent public utilities and non-utility participants in a broad range of state regulatory proceedings in New England. Clients appreciate our deep understanding of the natural gas, electric, communications and water industries and the regulatory process by which they are regulated. We have handled nearly every type of state regulatory proceeding ranging from approvals of utility mergers and acquisitions to management audits and investigations.

Energy

The firm represent buyers and sellers of energy in wholesale and retail transactions, including long-term contracts designed to promote the development of renewable energy generating resources and the reduction of carbon in the energy supply chain. We also assist energy facility project developers in government-sponsored competitive bid processes and advise competitive retail suppliers on compliance matters.

Appeals

Our appellate practice includes the representation of appellants, appellees, petitioners and respondents in appeals, petitions and writs in federal and state appellate courts. Clients appreciate that our briefs are well researched and carefully written. Even before the appeal is filed we consult with trial counsel during the litigation by conducting research, writing motions and strategizing to ensure that all issues are properly preserved for a potential appeal.

Regulatory Turnarounds

When the relationships among a public utility, its regulator and its customers becomes challenging, we work with the company to develop effective strategies to rebalance the relationships. We have a proven track record of helping companies mend relationships with their regulators and customers, including when the issues involve public safety, customer service and reliability.

"My company has worked with Bill for approximately a decade. As an executive in the energy industry, I do not have time to develop legal filings from scratch. Bill’s technical background makes my job easier because he quickly understands the essence of any issue. He is very good at asking the right questions to understand the details. Bill’s strategic thinking and regulatory experience make him a valuable addition to any team. I usually do not say this when speaking of lawyers, but I really enjoy working on projects with Bill. "
Senior Engineering Executive, New England Utility

"As a utility company, we operate in a highly regulated environment and the ability to rely on a professional such as Bill makes navigating this complex environment much easier. As an attorney, he is excellent, but when you couple that with his engineering background and his ability to quickly grasp technical engineering and operations issues, it makes his services invaluable. I have always enjoyed working with Bill and no deadline is too short or problem too complex for him tackle."
Senior Operations Executive, New England Utility

"Bill Hewitt is and has been a consistent, trusted partner to our Company for more than a decade. During that time, Bill has been instrumental in guiding us through a broad array of complex contested and negotiated matters in three New England states. Bill is a skilled negotiator whose expertise and temperament are well suited to successfully doing business in challenging regulatory environments. We regularly call on Bill to represent us before the public utility regulators in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Our Company’s relationship with Bill Hewitt and Hewitt & Hewitt continues to be mutually rewarding and gratifying."
Chief Accounting Officer, $1.4 Billion Regional Public Utility Holding Company

"I have been working with Andrea Hewitt for over 20 years. She has filed criminal briefs for me regarding my cases, petitions for writ of habeas corpus, appeals dealing with convictions in criminal trials, ineffective assistance of counsel appeals and litigation, research and motions on complex criminal cases. The complex cases she has worked on with me include one of the first federal prosecutions under the Designer Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2014. You will find her writing and research to be superior."
Florida Attorney, Board Certified Criminal Trial Attorney

"I was trial counsel in a civil matter that Andrea handled as the lead attorney on appeal before the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. She conferred with me promptly at the outset of the matter and thoroughly researched and investigated all of the factual and legal issues. Her legal research was done efficiently, quickly and well and she prepared a thoughtful and persuasive brief. I also very much appreciated her insights on which arguments would and would not be successful on appeal. I hope that I will have the opportunity to work with her on many other similar projects."
Maine Civil Trial Attorney

"I am a Florida trial lawyer who practiced in Orlando for 45 years. Around 2002, I was referred to Andrea Hewitt to write briefs . I loved the trial practice but appeals were not my favorite. When I sent my first case to her, she immediately grasped the issues and with very little direction from me prepared an excellent brief. I could not recommend her work and work ethic more highly We won a lot of tough cases that other lawyers thought we had no chance of winning and she never backed down from an aggressive position. Her billing rates were very reasonable and we never had a dispute about money which is rare among lawyers. She is the best. "
Florida Trial Attorney