Charles Read
Partner
Charlie Read is a partner in O’Melveny’s Los Angeles and Washington, DC offices, is a member of the Business Trial and Litigation Practice, and is Co-Chair of the Energy Practice. He practices energy and public utilities law. Charlie has handled matters for electric power, telecommunications, and pipeline companies in state and federal court as well as regulatory agencies such as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and various state public utilities commissions. He also advises investors, suppliers, and large customers in the energy and utility industries. Charlie has been actively involved in efforts to restructure and deregulate these sectors, including implementation of FERC’s transmission access and market design orders, the aftermath of the 2000-2001 California energy crisis, renewable resource promotion, and numerous safety and accident investigations.
Illustrative Professional Experience
- Federal and state investigations into alleged manipulation of the California energy market
- Defense of construction and operating costs of crude oil and products pipelines, nuclear and fossil generating plants, and electric transmission and distribution systems
- Safety and accident investigations and litigation involving oil tankers, pipelines, power plants, high-rise building construction, welding and electric power lines
- Regulatory approval proceedings for mergers, reorganizations, refinancing, privatization incentive-based ratemaking, and general rate cases
- Penalty proceedings involving marketing practices, electric distribution safety, affiliate and holding company issues relations, and incentive-based ratemaking
Professional Activities
Member, ABA Section on Public Utilities Law; DC Bar Section on Environment, Energy and Natural Resources; California Conference of Public Utility Counsel; Los Angeles County Bar Association
Honors, Named one of "America's Leading Lawyers for Business" in Projects & Energy: Regulatory & Litigation - California by Chambers USA 2008 and 2009; Named
"Best Lawyer in America" (Energy) (2005-2010);
Who’s Who Legal: California 2009 (Energy);
Who's Who in American Law: California (Energy) (2007); named a "
Super Lawyer" (Energy and Natural Resources) in a survey conducted by Law & Politics Media Inc. and published by
Los Angeles magazine (2008, 2009)