William F. McLaughlin

William (Bill) McLaughlin is a partner at Hodgson Russ with more than three decades of combined professional experience in the energy, environmental, and regulatory sectors, including two decades in law. Providing clients with unparalleled insight into the current landscape of energy and utility regulation in New York State, he concentrates on public utility regulation and energy matters, counseling a broad range of clients regarding electric generation and transmission infrastructure development projects.

Serving large and small developers, energy consumers, and industry associations, Bill helps clients navigate the complex and evolving landscape of government programs and regulations impacting the developers, with an emphasis on permitting and compliance issues associated with energy development. In that role, Bill routinely represents clients before government agencies responsible for energy regulation, environmental protection, and land use control, including the New York State Public Service Commission and the Office of Renewable Energy Siting.

Bill has assisted clients in preparing applications and compliance filings for major renewable energy and storage facilities, drafted regulatory petitions for ongoing operations, filed disputes regarding interconnection issues and extensions for service, and counseled clients on numerous other matters. He coordinates with teams of interdisciplinary technical consultants and experts to evaluate environmental, land use, zoning, and public relations issues regarding project development and regulatory actions.

In addition, Bill has significant prior experience representing national and international developers in intricate business transactions within highly regulated industries, including hotel and condominium development, franchising and management, power purchase agreements, insurance recovery litigation for long-tail claims, lienholder rights in bankruptcy, and matters involving specialized government program and oversight.  When called upon, Bill has collaborated on the negotiation of engineering, procurement and construction contracts, and long-term power purchase agreements, as well as minor proceedings under New York State’s Oil Spill Law.   

Prior to starting his legal career, Bill served for many years as an environmental engineer for the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, bringing an intricate knowledge of the agency’s inner-workings to benefit client matters.

Services

Education

University of Massachusetts Lowell, College of Engineering, B.S.

The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law, J.D., magna cum laude

Admissions

• District of Columbia
• Massachusetts
• New York State