Diana Liebmann in Texas Lawyer: Top Women in Energy Q/A

I knew I wanted to be an electric regulatory and transactional lawyer before I graduated from college. It was the early 1990s and the electric power markets were just starting to open up. I was a legislative aide and worked on wholesale power deregulation legislation. After I graduated from college Texas was still restructuring the wholesale power market and had begun retail market restructuring. I knew I wanted to work to further develop these markets both as a regulatory lawyer and as a transactional lawyer.

To be effective as a regulatory lawyer, an understanding of the commercial markets is key. At the same time, to be an effective transactional lawyer, an understanding of the regulatory framework, including anticipating changes to regulation, is critical. The interplay of both of these areas provides opportunities for clients to achieve efficiencies in the market, and it is exciting to assist them in achieving their objectives. I have enjoyed working with great clients and lawyers in this area dealing with complex market and regulatory matters.

Excerpted from Texas Lawyer. To read the full article, please click here (subscription required).