John Decker > Vinson & Elkins LLP > Washington DC, United States > Lawyer Profile
Vinson & Elkins LLP Offices
2200 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE NW
SUITE 500 WEST
WASHINGTON, DC 20037-1701
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
United States
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John Decker
Work Department
Energy Regulation
Position
Partner
Career
John represents companies in the energy industry in transactional and regulatory matters, primarily focused on the natural gas and electric power industries. He is one of a handful of lawyers in the country who is ranked by Chambers USA for his regulatory work in both electricity and oil and gas.
John has worked on numerous domestic and international transactions involving the production and transportation of natural gas and liquefied natural gas, the development of gas-fired power plants, and the sale or acquisition of electric power and natural gas assets.
He has also represented natural gas pipeline owners, liquefied natural gas importers, investor-owned utilities, owners of qualifying facilities, exempt wholesale generators, electric power marketers, and municipalities before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the Department of Energy (DOE). John also counsels clients on commercial and regulatory issues in the domestic retail electricity market.
Lawyer Rankings
United States > Energy > Energy regulation: electric power
(Leading lawyers)The team at Vinson & Elkins LLP has an active practice before FERC, with work ranging from representing sponsors of merchant transmission projects seeking favorable rate treatment, approval of purchases and sales of power generation facilities and transmission assets; and representing parties under non-public investigation by FERC’s Office of Enforcement. The firm, known for its ‘experience with electrical interconnections in Texas,’ also has an active practice before NERC and PUCT, focused on advising clients concerning compliance with NERC’s Reliability Standards and representing utilities and sponsors of merchant transmission projects with regard to regulatory approvals and sitting for new transmission lines before PUCT. John Decker , who is based in Washington DC, represents companies on regulatory matters for electric power marketers and on the sale or acquisition of electric power assets, while John Decker , working from the Austin Texas office, navigates clients through the rulemaking and regulatory compliance matters before the Public Utility Commission of Texas, and other state and federal regulatory agencies. Damien Lyster , working in both the Houston and Washington offices, is noted for his work advising clients on federal regulatory issues related to the production, gathering and sale of electric power commodities.
The team at Vinson & Elkins LLP has an active practice before FERC, with work ranging from representing sponsors of merchant transmission projects seeking favorable rate treatment, approval of purchases and sales of power generation facilities and transmission assets; and representing parties under non-public investigation by FERC’s Office of Enforcement. The firm, known for its ‘experience with electrical interconnections in Texas,’ also has an active practice before NERC and PUCT, focused on advising clients concerning compliance with NERC’s Reliability Standards and representing utilities and sponsors of merchant transmission projects with regard to regulatory approvals and sitting for new transmission lines before PUCT. John Decker , who is based in Washington DC, represents companies on regulatory matters for electric power marketers and on the sale or acquisition of electric power assets, while John Decker , working from the Austin Texas office, navigates clients through the rulemaking and regulatory compliance matters before the Public Utility Commission of Texas, and other state and federal regulatory agencies. Damien Lyster , working in both the Houston and Washington offices, is noted for his work advising clients on federal regulatory issues related to the production, gathering and sale of electric power commodities.
United States > Energy > Energy regulation: oil and gas
Noted for its expertise in representing companies across the natural and LNG industry sectors, Vinson & Elkins LLP’s team is regularly placed at the forefront of large-scale infrastructure projects, handling all regulatory aspects and related appellate work, as well as critical pipeline rate cases before the FERC. The practice handles a variety of other regulatory mandates, including compliance issues, gas quality proceedings and presidential permit applications. Jay Seegers leads the Houston-based team, advising natural gas pipeline clients on regulatory issues with a focus on administrative litigation. Other key contacts in the team include Washington DC’s John Decker, who has experience in the natural gas and power sectors, having worked on numerous domestic and international matters involving the transportation of natural gas and LNG, Suzanne Clevenger and Damien Lyster, who operate from the firm’s Houston office. Jason Fleischer joined the practice from Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP in February 2023. Anita Wilson has retired.
Lawyer Rankings
- Energy regulation: oil and gas United States > Energy
- Leading lawyers United States > Energy > Energy regulation: electric power
- Energy regulation: electric power United States > Energy
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Government > Government relations
- Energy > Energy regulation: oil and gas
- Energy > Energy transactions: oil and gas
- Energy > Renewable/alternative power
- M&A/corporate and commercial > Shareholder activism
Firm Rankings
- Finance > Capital markets: high-yield debt offerings
- Energy > Energy litigation: oil and gas
- Government > Government contracts
- Finance > Project finance
- Transport > Aviation and air travel: finance
- Finance > Capital markets: debt offerings
- Finance > Capital markets: equity offerings
- Antitrust > Cartel
- Real estate > Construction (including construction litigation)
- Labor and employment > Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: transactional
- Energy > Energy regulation: electric power
- Environment > Environment: litigation
- Environment > Environment: regulatory
- Environment > Environment: transactional
- Tax > International tax
- Antitrust > Merger control
- Real estate > Real estate investment trusts (REITs)
- Dispute resolution > Securities litigation: defense
- Tax > US taxes: non-contentious
- Antitrust > Civil litigation/class actions: defense
- Energy > Energy transactions: electric power
- Dispute resolution > International arbitration
- Dispute resolution > M&A litigation: defense
- M&A/corporate and commercial > Private equity buyouts: large deals ($500m+)
- Real estate > Real estate
- Finance > Restructuring (including bankruptcy): corporate
- Industry focus > Sport
- Tax > US taxes: contentious
- Dispute resolution > General commercial disputes
- M&A/corporate and commercial > M&A: large deals ($1bn+)
- Dispute resolution > Leading trial lawyers
- Dispute resolution > Appellate: courts of appeals / Appellate: supreme courts (states and federal)
- Finance > Commercial lending
- Dispute resolution > Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense
- Real estate > Land use/zoning