Michael Strong

Michael Strong is a partner and chair of the Energy Law Group. Michael’s practice focuses on representing trade associations before regulators (primarily in Illinois) to set the “rules of the game” and advising individual companies involved in the regulated community on strategy, transactions, and operation in or touching the regulated space.

Michael works primarily with developers and long-term asset owners in the solar industry and retail energy providers, helping navigate the complex regulatory frameworks impacting revenue streams, such as advising on new products, strategic partnerships, asset acquisition and disposal, customer contracts, and compliance. From transmission to energy end-users, from financing to incentive applications, he works across disciplines and with cross-disciplinary business, technical and legal teams to drive client results. Michael also assists clients on legislative drafting.

In addition to his transactional practice, Michael represents clients in contested proceedings from integrated grid plans and procurement plans to rulemakings as well as disputes against electric distribution utilities or within incentive programs.

In between stints at firms, Michael was the first in-house general counsel of the Illinois Power Agency, a state agency responsible for procurement of wholesale energy and renewable energy resources.