Practice Focus

Alternative Dispute Resolution, Energy and Telecommunications, Government Relations

Experience

Doug brings 23 years of public service experience to his regulatory, governmental and mediation practice at Orr & Reno. Before joining the Firm, Doug served as Chairman of the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission for nine years. Since entering private practice, he has represented many clients before administrative agencies and the legislature on issues affecting the electric, gas, nuclear, telecommunications, water and transportation industries, as well as safety and environmental matters. Doug also mediates or arbitrates disputes involving both regulated utilities and unregulated entities at the state and regional level. Doug's experience includes:

• Presiding over the restructuring of the state's electric and natural gas utility industries
• Implementing the Telecommunications Act of 1996
• Implementing New Hampshire's Safe Drinking Water Act
• Serving as Chair of the Nuclear Decommissioning Finance Committee, Vice Chair of the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Committee, Co-Chair of the Governor's Y2K Task Force and member of the Enhanced 911 Commission
• Serving as Assistant Commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Safety, 1986-1992
• Serving as Assistant Attorney General and in the State Legislature's Office of Legislative Services
• Negotiating complex collective bargaining agreements for state employees as a member of the State Negotiating Committee
• Doug authors a bi-monthly column, "Utilities Watch", published in the New Hampshire Business Review. A recent column can be viewed by clicking here
• Focus on New Hampshire Utilities, an Orr & Reno weekly newsletter, is edited by Doug. A recent issue of the newsletter is available for you to review

Practice Areas

• Alternative Dispute Resolution
• Energy and Telecommunications
• Environmental
• Governmental Relations

Professional Activities

• American Arbitration Association's Roster of Neutrals, Commercial Panel, Boston Regional Office
• Former Chair, New England Conference of Public Utility Commissioners
• Former Co-Chair, New England Governors' Conference Power Planning Committee
• Former member, National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners' Committee on Electricity and Sub-committee on Nuclear Issues – Waste Disposal

Honors and Distinctions

• Cited in The Best Lawyers in America, 2007 for energy law

Bar Admissions

Doug is admitted to practice in the state courts in New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

Education

University of Massachusetts, Amherst, B.A., 1975; Boston College Law School, J.D., 1978

Publications

"LNG Terminal Debates Flare Up Along East Coast," NH Business Review, Vol. 27, No. 5, March 4-17, 2005.

Utilities Newsletter

"Focus on New Hampshire Utilities" is a weekly newsletter, prepared and edited by Doug Patch. He is the former Chairman of the NH Public Utilities Commission.

If you would like to become a subscriber, please fill out the Utilities membership form and return it to Orr & Reno.

Utilities Membership Newsletter Form