Overview
Since joining Spiegel & McDiarmid in 1972, Robert Jablon has worked to protect the rights of cities, cooperatives and state governments that are dependent upon multibillion-dollar utilities and other dominant energy companies.
“These smaller entities need fair access to generation, transmission, fuels, technology and information,” says Bob. “I have tried to help them gain economic access to essential resources where they have limited bargaining power. I have tried to protect public values and consumers.”
He has been lead counsel on major cases and negotiations, including those dealing with the application of antitrust principles to the energy industry, obtaining economic and fair transmission access and pricing, mergers, market power issues, power plant participation and contracting, coordination and pooling, power supply and fuel terms, rates, nuclear cost overruns and major natural gas litigation. Bob has been recognized as an AV Preeminent-Top Rated Lawyer® for Energy, Environmental and Natural Resources by ALM Media.
“Law is — or can be — our public morality,” Bob says. “I try to use legal principles to protect the rights of those who need help, to solve client problems in regulated and network industries, and to further consumer interests.”
Practice Focus
He’s litigated cases in:
- antitrust and market structure and access conditions for utility products and services
- natural gas preferences and allocations
- electric restructuring
- mergers
- transmission ownership rights, access, pricing and classifications
- regional transmission organization entitlements
- nuclear antitrust, cost overrun, contract and licensing
- rates, terms, and conditions for power supply, transmission and natural gas
- contracts
- construction cost overruns and failures
- retail service and service area and pricing (i.e., special rates)
- Qualifying Facilities issues
- congestion transmission pricing (financial transmission rights and auction revenue rights allowances)
- transportation, communications and water cases