Building Your Future at Holland & Knight: Willie Phillips' Transition from Public Sector to Partner
Public Policy & Regulation attorney Willie Phillips discusses his transition from serving as chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to becoming a partner at Holland & Knight. With extensive experience as a regulator, he looks forward to helping clients address critical challenges and anticipate potential issues from a new perspective.
After leading FERC for years, he wasn't sure what to expect when transitioning to a law firm. However, he shared that he has felt very supported by Holland & Knight throughout this career change.
"It has been outstanding. The integration process at Holland & Knight – I believe it stands out," he said.
Watch the full video for more on Mr. Phillips' experience.
Willie Phillips: It is a global firm. Holland & Knight also has an excellent national reputation and provides a platform that we can not only attract clients, but also it's an opportunity for individual attorneys to build their brand and make sure that folks know the great resources that are available here at Holland & Knight. That's what I'm excited about. Sharing what I've learned as a federal regulator and applying that experience to the problems of my clients.
I work in the Public Policy & Regulation, PP&R, section. I came from FERC. I was the immediate past chairman of FERC, and so my focus is on energy, both at the state and federal level. We represent clients, everything from large electric and gas utilities, stakeholders, as well as technology companies, from large Fortune 500 to startups and everything in between.
It is a great honor to me to now having sat on one side of the table — I'm still at the table, I'm just on the other side of table — helping clients solve the problems that they have and figure out not just what their energy regulator is going to do next, but to help them get ahead of that problem.
Coming from a place where I was the leader of an organization for many years, I didn't know what it would be like coming here and being a partner. It has been outstanding. The integration process at Holland & Knight, I believe it stands out. I feel extremely supported. There's a lot of opportunities to meet all of the many excellent attorneys and non-attorney professionals that work here at Holland & Knight. It's been really a great experience.