Katherine A. McDowell

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Katherine’s practice focuses on energy regulatory matters and litigation. She advises and represents utilities and independent power producers on an extensive range of energy issues, including ratemaking, utility mergers, and restructuring. She represents her clients before regulatory commissions throughout the West, including Oregon, Washington, California, Nevada, Arizona, Wyoming, and at BPA and FERC.

Legal Experience

Katherine practiced with Stoel Rives LLP for eighteen years, from 1988 until May 1, 2006 when she opened her own law firm, McDowell & Associates, now McDowell & Rackner. While at Stoel Rives, she practiced in both the litigation and energy areas, and chaired the firm’s energy practice group for a number of years. In that capacity, she focused the firm’s practice on renewable energy and Western energy issues.

Representative Work

• Represented MidAmerican Energy and PacifiCorp in merger approval proceedings at the Public Utility Commission of Oregon
• Represented PacifiCorp in a range of cases addressing public utility taxation

Professional Activities

• Member of the Oregon, Washington, and Florida bars
• Executive Committee Member of the Oregon State Bar Energy, Telecommunications and Utilities, and Administrative Law Sections
• Selected by her peers for inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America in the Public Utility Law category for many years
• Selected by her peers as an Oregon “Super Lawyer” in energy and natural resources law

Education

Katherine received her BA from the University of Iowa in 1981, and her JD from Stetson University College of Law in Florida in 1985, where she was editor-in-chief of the law review. She clerked for the US District Court for the Middle District of Florida, and for the Chief Judge of the 11^th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Community Activities

Katherine is active in the ACLU of Oregon and other public interest organizations. She is a member of the ACLU’s Lawyers’ Committee, chaired that committee for many years, and formerly served as the ACLU of Oregon’s Vice President of Litigation. She also served as Chair of the Oregon Law Foundation and President of Multnomah County’s Volunteer Lawyers Project.

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