720 Brazos Street, Suite 700

Austin, Texas 78701
tom.anson@strasburger.com
512.499.3608
512.536.5718 fax
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Tom Anson's regulatory and administrative law practice spans over three decades.  He studied regulated industries and energy law in law school, and upon graduation clerked for Judge Sam Johnson of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (who served on the "Gas Panel" which reviews decisions of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission).
Tom's primary area of practice is state and federal energy and utility law.  This involves regulatory, contract, financial, administrative, and litigation matters for the electric, oil and gas, and telecommunications industries, including matters before the Public Utility Commission of Texas, the Railroad Commission of Texas, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and the courts.  His practice also involves other areas of administrative and governmental law, including certain financial institution regulation, such as by the Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner, and assistance on contracts for the procurement of goods and services by governmental bodies, such as by municipal entities.    
Representative energy and utility clients include independent power producers, wind generators, electric transmission service providers, electric power aggregators, telecommunications carriers, oil and gas producers, gas gatherers, gas and other pipelines, gas distribution companies, municipally-owned gas and electric utilities, rural electric cooperatives, industrial customers, commercial businesses, submetered apartment building owners, and lenders or investors in the energy and utility industries. 
PROFFESIONAL AFFILIATIONS 
  • Board of Directors of the Gulf Coast Power Association (an electric industry trade organization), Past President and current Member.
  • Texas Chapter of the Federal Communications Bar Association, past Co-chair.
  • Administrative Law Section of the Austin Bar Association (formerly the Travis County Bar Association), Past President and holder of other officer positions.
  • Energy Bar Association, Member
  • State Bar of Texas, Member: "Public Utility Law" Section and "Administrative and Public Law" Section
  • American Bar Association, Member: "Public Utility, Communications, Transportation Law" Section, "Environment, Energy, and Resources Law" Section
  • Austin Bar Association, Member: "Oil, Gas, and Mineral Law" Section, "Appellate Law" Section, "Civil Litigation" Section and "Administrative Law" Section
EDUCATION

The University of Texas School of Law, J.D., 1980, with honors
Order of the Coif
Note Editor, Texas Law Review.

Oklahoma State University, B.S., 1977

 

Tom Anson
Support Staff: Julie Gamboa
  Legal Administrative Assistant
  Phone: 512.499.3652
  julie.gamboa@strasburger.com
Tom Anson
Partner
720 Brazos Street Suite 700
Austin, Texas 78701
tom.anson@strasburger.com
512.499.3608
512.536.5718 fax

OVERVIEW
Tom Anson's regulatory and administrative law practice spans over three decades.  He studied regulated industries and energy law in law school, and upon graduation clerked for Judge Sam Johnson of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (who served on the "Gas Panel" which reviews decisions of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission).
Tom's primary area of practice is state and federal energy and utility law.  This involves regulatory, contract, financial, administrative, and litigation matters for the electric, oil and gas, and telecommunications industries, including matters before the Public Utility Commission of Texas, the Railroad Commission of Texas, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and the courts.  His practice also involves other areas of administrative and governmental law, including certain financial institution regulation, such as by the Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner, and assistance on contracts for the procurement of goods and services by governmental bodies, such as by municipal entities.    
Representative energy and utility clients include independent power producers, wind generators, electric transmission service providers, electric power aggregators, telecommunications carriers, oil and gas producers, gas gatherers, gas and other pipelines, gas distribution companies, municipally-owned gas and electric utilities, rural electric cooperatives, industrial customers, commercial businesses, submetered apartment building owners, and lenders or investors in the energy and utility industries. 
PROFFESIONAL AFFILIATIONS 
  • Board of Directors of the Gulf Coast Power Association (an electric industry trade organization), Past President and current Member.
  • Texas Chapter of the Federal Communications Bar Association, past Co-chair.
  • Administrative Law Section of the Austin Bar Association (formerly the Travis County Bar Association), Past President and holder of other officer positions.
  • Energy Bar Association, Member
  • State Bar of Texas, Member: "Public Utility Law" Section and "Administrative and Public Law" Section
  • American Bar Association, Member: "Public Utility, Communications, Transportation Law" Section, "Environment, Energy, and Resources Law" Section
  • Austin Bar Association, Member: "Oil, Gas, and Mineral Law" Section, "Appellate Law" Section, "Civil Litigation" Section and "Administrative Law" Section
EDUCATION

The University of Texas School of Law, J.D., 1980, with honors
Order of the Coif
Note Editor, Texas Law Review.

Oklahoma State University, B.S., 1977

 


EXPERIENCE
LITIGATION
  • Successfully defended a municipal electric and gas utility in a series of state and federal court lawsuits that attempted to wrest utility management and control away from its independent board of trustees.
  • Successfully defended a gas pipeline company in a regulatory dispute with another gas pipeline company over "ratable take" priority flow-through before the Railroad Commission of Texas.
  • Successfully defended a gas pipeline company in a regulatory dispute over its status as exempt from gas utility regulation before the Railroad Commission of Texas.
  • Successfully defended a gas pipeline company against another gas pipeline company's attempt to increase its transportation rate at the Railroad Commission of Texas.
  • Obtained a favorable settlement for a gas producer after presenting oral argument in federal appellate court despite a district court take-nothing judgment in a gas purchase contract pricing dispute.
  • Obtained a favorable settlement for a gas gatherer after presenting oral argument in federal appellate court in a gas processing contract termination dispute.
  • Obtained for a telecommunication carrier a federal district court judgment reversing a regulatory ruling of the Public Utility Commission of Texas, and obtained an affirmance of that judgment by the appeals court in what became the leading case on the issue.
  • Obtained for a telecommunication carrier a federal district court judgment invalidating on federal preemption grounds a telecommunications regulation of the Public Utility Commission of Texas, and obtained an affirmance of that judgment by the appeals court.
  • Successfully opposed for a telecommunications carrier a competitor's regulatory plan before the Public Utility Commission of Texas.
  • Successfully mediated an energy dispute.
  • Provided expert witness testimony on natural gas regulation in an energy arbitration.
 NON-LITIGATION
  • Acting as local counsel on regulatory and related issues involved in financial transactions, such as wind farms, other generation facilities, and new electric transmission lines.  
  • Negotiation of various wholesale electric power supply agreements, retail electric power supply agreements, and electric aggregation agreements.
  • Negotiation and preparation of retail electric supply agreement for a large load with unusual usage characteristics.
  • Consultations with clients regarding the interpretation of various electric and gas supply and transportation agreements.
  • Consultations with clients regarding the interpretation and application of various electric, gas, and telecommunications regulatory requirements to their business organizations and operations.
  • Assist clients with various regulatory authorization and compliance filings.


 

PUBLICATIONS
Tom has prepared articles and spoken on a variety of topics for the Dallas Electric Club, the Gulf Coast Power Association regional conferences, the State Bar of Texas' Advanced Administrative Law Course, and the Texas Law Review, among others.
Tom has prepared articles and spoken on numerous topics for the State Bar of Texas' Advanced Administrative Law Course, including:
  • The Contested Case—An Overview
  • Enforcement of Agency Orders
  • Enforcement of Agency Orders, Rules, and Statutes
  • Standing at the Agency and On Appeal
  • Primary Jurisdiction in Texas