Jones Walker and The Sullivan Group Announce Alliance

NEW ORLEANS and BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Jan. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- William H. Hines, Managing Partner of the law firm Jones, Walker, Waechter, Poitevent, Carrere & Denegre L.L.P, and Charles James (Jim) Sullivan, III, President of The Sullivan Group, today announced a strategic alliance between their two firms.

In making the announcement, both firms emphasized that the alliance enhances their ability and effectiveness in energy policy in Gulf South states as well as nationally. The agreement between the two firms is effective January 1, 2011.

Jim Sullivan is the former President of the Alabama Public Service Commission (PSC), where he served from 1983 until his retirement in 2008. While with the Alabama PSC, Mr. Sullivan implemented and refined new regulatory processes (rate stabilization and equalization), and the agency rated nationally among the best state regulatory agencies during his tenure.

Mr. Hines commented, "Jim Sullivan is an experienced government professional who served the state of Alabama admirably. His national reputation as an energy regulator and expert in nuclear power is unprecedented. He has a deep understanding of the workings of the energy regulatory agencies and will give our firm and its clients a very experienced counselor on energy policy issues."

"As a result of his years serving on the Alabama PSC and his service as President of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, he provides experience that few can match in the energy area," added Mr. Hines.

Mr. Sullivan opened The Sullivan Group, following his retirement from the Alabama PSC, to provide guidance to power companies, energy providers, and large consumers of energy on a variety of energy policy matters.

Mr. Sullivan stated, "This strategic alliance makes sense on many levels. We expand the services we both are able to offer to our respective clients, and the culture between the two firms is a great fit. Together, our firms can provide even better counsel to our clients across the Gulf South and nationally at a time of great turmoil in the energy industry. Jones Walker has deep and broad experience with the critical issues facing our state and the region in this area, and we believe providing our clients with guidance on their energy policy is more critical than ever, given the legislative and regulatory challenges they will face in Washington.

"I have always believed that the Gulf South states have particular interests, and that it makes sense for the Congressional delegations from those states to work closely together on a bipartisan basis on behalf of those common interests. With this alliance, our offices in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Mobile, Houston, Montgomery and Birmingham, as well as Miami, permit us to help facilitate the needed coordination of public efforts in this arena," added Mr. Sullivan.

Jones, Walker, Waechter, Poitevent, Carrere & Denegre L.L.P. (www.joneswalker.com), with more than 300 attorneys, provides a comprehensive range of legal services to a national and international corporate client base in highly regulated industries through offices in Alabama, Arizona, the District of Columbia, Florida, Louisiana, and Texas.

The Sullivan Group provides advice to its clients on energy policy, public affairs, regulatory and government issues.

SOURCE Jones Walker