Clint Vince is the chair of Dentons' Energy sector.

Clint has directed the expansion of the US Energy team into a premier practice that includes professionals spanning the continent coast-to-coast, offering a full range of services to energy industry clients. He is widely recognized for his cutting-edge theories and solutions within the energy industry and has a top-tier litigation track record.

Clint remains at the forefront of energy developments and continuously handles some of the highest profile cases in the industry. His experience involves major project development, legislative and regulatory advocacy on behalf of public and private clients, and litigation and appellate cases including US Supreme Court advocacy. Clint has argued before state appellate courts; the US District Courts for the District of Columbia, the Eastern District of New York and the Southern District of New York; the US Courts of Appeals for the First, Second, Fourth, Fifth, Eighth, Tenth, Eleventh and District of Columbia Circuits; and the Supreme Court of the United States, in some instances multiple times.

With more than 35 years of experience in the industry, Clint has been described by clients as "fair, equitable and extremely intelligent” and as “a ‘master’ at assessing a situation, planning a strategy, presenting that plan … and following through to closure.” As a leading industry litigator, he is “tenacious in trial advocacy and always mindful and gracious in negotiation.”

Recently, Clint and his team of energy professionals were awarded Energy Daily’s Leadership Award for “Most Dynamic Energy Practice” in the US. Clint is also recognized by Best Lawyers in America and Washington, DC, Super Lawyers, and he has received recognition from Chambers.

Clint is a past editor-in-chief of the Energy Law Journal and just completed a two-year term as co-chair of the prestigious Keystone Center, a policy think tank known for its work in the energy and environmental fields.

Prior to joining Dentons, Clint was the managing partner of the Washington, DC, office of Sullivan and Worcester LLP, where he was also director of the firm’s Energy practice.

He served as co-chair of Verner, Liipfert, Bernhard, McPherson and Hand, where he was the founder and chair of the firm’s Energy and Environmental practice.

Experience

• CPS Energy: Advising on a 400-megawatt project in San Antonio, TX, expected to top US$1 billion, to help meet the city’s 2020 renewable energy goals. This project is particularly unique in that it contains an economic development feature that will draw US$100 million in capital investment and create 800 permanent jobs in the San Antonio area. This comes on the heels of winning a multibillion-US-dollar nuclear lawsuit, in which our team achieved 100 percent victory in the highest profile nuclear litigation case in recent years in a court battle that pitted the city of San Antonio against NRG Energy. Simultaneously, our deal team negotiated a settlement worth billions of US dollars to San Antonio, including the resolution of allegations against the city, an agreement to provide San Antonio with a 7.6 percent share in any future nuclear plant without payment of any future construction costs and an upfront settlement of US$90 million, if the project proceeds.
• As the city of New Orleans’ lead federal trial counsel for nearly three decades, Clint is credited with helping to save more than US$2 billion for the ratepayers of the city and assisting with the rebuilding of the city’s electric and natural gas systems that were devastated by Hurricane Katrina.
• He has handled more than 500 regulatory, state, federal, trial and appellate proceedings involving the city of New Orleans, including US Supreme Court advocacy.
• Clint has represented Navopache Electric Cooperative, Inc., for more than 30 years, including recently with respect to the negotiation of power supply and network service agreements and before the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in transmission rate proceedings.
• Represented several municipal utilities and associations of municipal utilities, including the Municipal Electric Utilities Association of New York State (MEUA), before the FERC on numerous issues, including regional transmission organizations (RTOs), market design and cost allocation.
• Clint has served as lead trial counsel to the Southeastern Federal Power Customer group (SEFPC) in the highly publicized “Tri-State Water Wars,” and has handled many other cases for them as well.
• He serves as counsel to a coalition of foreign businesses engaged in energy industries worldwide.
• As outside general counsel to Rayburn Country Electric Cooperative, Clint has won every major energy case involving Rayburn in the past 30 years.
• Clint represents some of the largest corporations in Japan, assisting them in navigating the US energy industry with particular emphasis on energy and environmental policy and all forms of project development, including renewables.

Recognition

With more than 35 years of experience in the industry, Clint has been described by clients as "fair, equitable and extremely intelligent” and as “a 'master’ at assessing a situation, planning a strategy, presenting that plan … and following through to closure.” As a leading industry litigator, he is “tenacious in trial advocacy and always mindful and gracious in negotiation.”

Recently, Clint and his team of energy professionals were awarded Energy Daily’s Leadership Award for “Most Dynamic Energy Practice” in the US. Clint is also recognized by Best Lawyers in America and Washington, DC, Super Lawyers, and he has received recognition from Chambers.

Honors and Awards

• Leadership Award for "Most Dynamic Energy Practice," Energy Daily, February 2010 and May 2012
• Awarded 2012 Champion by the Women's Council on Energy and the Environment (WCEE)
• Voted Washington, DC, Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers magazine, 2007–2014
• Recognized in The Lawyer's "Transatlantic Elite" issue, June 2011
• The Keystone Center's Founder Leadership Award, 2011
• Ranked in Chambers USA, Nationwide, Energy: Electricity (Regulatory & Litigation), 2011– 2014
• Recognized by Best Lawyers for Energy Law, 2007–2014
• Lawdragon in America, 2010 and 2011
• SNR Denton Firmwide Diversity Committee's Fifth Annual Duane C. Quaini Agent of Change Award, 2009
• Acknowledgement, Chambers USA, 2007
• Voted "Legal Elite," Washington's SmartCEO Magazine, 2006

Insights

• Panelist Contributor, "Energy and Utilities Sector Roundtable," Financier Worldwide, December 2012
• "Global Warming and Related Issues," Energy Law and Transactions, LexisNexis, 2011
• "Shaping the US Energy Industry," Financier Worldwide, January 2011
• "New Orleans Energy Systems Recovery a Huge Success," Natural Gas & Electricity, February 2008
• "Update on Regional Transmission Organizations-Order No. 2000," Energy Law and Transactions, Matthew Bender and Co., Inc. Rel. 19-5/00, 2000
• "Independent System Operators," Energy Law and Transactions, Matthew Bender and Co., Inc. Rel. 17-6/99, 1999
• "The Future of Public Power and Electric Cooperatives," The Electricity Journal, Vol. 10, Number 9, November 1997

Activities and Affiliations

Memberships

• Member, Executive Committee of the Board of Directors, World Resource Institute, 2011– present (Ranked #1 Environmental, and Energy and Resource think tank in the world)
  • Chair, Development Committee
  • Co-founder, Global Advisory Committee
  • Cofounder and Member of the Renewable Energy Council
• Member, American Bar Association
• Member, American Public Power Association
• Member, Federal Energy Bar Association
• Chair, Foundation of the Energy Law Journal, 1994–1998
• Member, Bar Association of the District of Columbia
• Keystone Policy Center
  • Member of the Executive Committee, Board of Directors Co-chair, Main Board, 2008–2010
  • Co-chair, Energy Board, 2003–2008
• Editor-in-chief, Energy Law Journal, 2004–2005
• Member, Center for Strategic and International Studies, International Policy Roundtable (named the #1 security and international affairs think tank in the world)
• Member, Economic Club of Washington
• Member, The Washington Institute of Foreign Affairs
• Member, Advisory Committee, Aspen Institute World Energy Forum

Prior and Present Employment

Prior to joining Dentons, Clint was the managing partner of the Washington, DC, office of Sullivan and Worcester LLP, where he was also director of the firm’s Energy practice.

He served as co-chair of Verner, Liipfert, Bernhard, McPherson and Hand, where he was the founder and chair of the firm’s Energy and Environmental practice.