Education

• Stanford University, B.A. (Political Science and English), 1996
• Georgetown University Law Center, J.D., 1999

Bar Admissions

• California
• Maryland
• District of Columbia
• United States Supreme Court
• United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
• United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
• United States Court of Claims
• United States Court, Eastern District of California
• United States Court, Northern District of California

Honors

• Managing Editor, The Georgetown International Environmental Law Review, 1998-1999
• Phi Beta Kappa, Stanford University
• With Distinction Honors for B.A. Degree in Political Science and English, Stanford University

Experience

Mr. Neal became formally associated with the Firm in September, 1999, having clerked with the Firm the year prior. Mr. Neal's involvement with the Firm has encompassed the practice of electric utility law for the Firm's municipal clients. Mr. Neal helped open the Firm's Sacramento office in September 2004, where he currently practices.

Mr. Neal's litigation and arbitration experience includes proceedings before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, California State Court, Federal Appellate and District Court and the American Arbitration Association. Such proceedings include issues surrounding the fallout from the California electricity crisis of 2000-2001 and cost allocation issues arising from restructuring of the electricity industry. In addition, Mr. Neal has represented clients in stakeholder processes before the California Independent System Operator Corporation ("CAISO"), such as those involving CAISO's Grid Management Charge. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 instituted a legal structure of mandatory reliability standards, and Mr. Neal has advised clients as to compliance with those standards, as enforced by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation and Western Electricity Coordinating Council.

Mr. Neal has advised clients on matters before the California Energy Commission and the California Public Utilities Commission, including issues arising from California's laws designed to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases. Further, Mr. Neal has advised clients in the negotiation and review of power purchase agreements, transmission service and interconnection agreements, and operations agreements. Other practice areas in which Mr. Neal has helped represent clients include environmental compliance and natural gas utility law.

Organizations

• Energy Bar Association

Publications

• "Bringing Developing Nations on Board the Climate Change Protocol: Using Debt-for-Nature Swaps to Implement the Clean Development Mechanism," The Georgetown International Environmental Law Review (Vol. XI, Issue 1, Fall 1998)