In an expansion of its already-growing energy regulatory practice, Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP has announced that James D. Albright and Gregory E. Sopkin have joined the firm as partners in the firm’s Denver office. Each was previously with the law firm Squire Sanders.

Jim Albright has worked in the energy industry for his entire 33-year professional career and has been a practicing energy regulatory lawyer for nearly 24 years, both as a key member of the energy law practice of two law firms and as in-house counsel for an interstate natural gas pipeline and a large electric and gas public utility. He represents those companies in a full range of matters before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and state commissions, as well as before federal and state courts. Mr. Albright has significant experience as lead lawyer in major regulatory, legislative, transactional and litigation matters in the electric and natural gas industries, including utility rate cases, resource and facility need determinations, prudence reviews, major complaint cases, rulemakings and tariff matters before federal and state regulatory agencies. He has particular expertise representing clients in all segments of the natural gas industry in matters affected by its regulation. Mr. Albright earned a B.S. in accounting from Albright College in 1979 and his law degree from the University of Denver College of Law in 1989. He is a member of the Energy Bar Association, Colorado Bar Association, Denver Bar Association and the Christian Legal Society.

Greg Sopkin was Chairman of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission from 2003 until 2007, presiding over numerous Phase I and II electric rate cases as well as integrated resource planning cycles. He has years of experience in regulatory practice with emphasis in telecommunications, electric and gas regulatory work. Mr. Sopkin handles complex transmission, rate, generation, and communications regulatory cases. He also has represented energy and telecommunications clients at Squire Sanders and Gorsuch Kirgis LLP and represented the Colorado PUC as an assistant attorney general in the Colorado Attorney General’s office. Mr. Sopkin graduated with a B.S. in business administration (with high honors) from the University of Illinois in 1988, and earned a J.D. from the University of Colorado School of Law in 1991, where he served on the Law Review. He is a member of the executive committee of the telecommunications and electronic media practice groups of both the Energy Bar Association and the Federalist Society, and has served as Vice-Chair of the Energy Bar Association State Commission Practice Committee.

Bryan Tramont, the Managing Partner of Wilkinson Barker Knauer, said, “We are very happy to welcome Jim and Greg to our team. They bring a wealth of substantive expertise in the energy and telecom fields, as well as significant state and federal regulatory experience, and together they represent important growth for our Denver office. They are leading members of the Colorado bar, and their presence here will expand our capabilities in Denver and enable us to better meet the growing needs of our clients in the utilities industry.”

Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP, one of the largest law firms in the nation dedicated to the practice of communications and technology law, was named “Law Firm of the Year” in communications law for 2011-2012 by U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers and is ranked as a “first tier” firm by Chambers USA (Telecom, Broadcast, and Satellite: Regulatory) and Legal 500 (Telecoms and broadcast: regulatory). The firm, with offices in Washington, D.C. and Denver, Colorado, advises its clients, which range from global Fortune 100 companies to small start-ups, in regulatory, transactional, corporate and litigation matters involving all aspects of telecommunications, mass media and privacy law, as well as in energy and state regulatory matters.

Mr. Albright can be reached at (303) 626-2325 and at jalbright@wbklaw.com, and his bio is available at http://www.wbklaw.com/Our_team/James_Albright. Mr. Sopkin can be reached at (303) 626-2327 and at gsopkin@wbklaw.com, and his bio can be found at http://www.wbklaw.com/Our_team/Gregory_Sopkin. Additional information about Wilkinson Barker Knauer can be found at http://www.wbklaw.com.