CHARLES V. GARCÍA Albuquerque - Partner University of Kansas School of Law Juris Doctor 1988 University of New Mexico B.A., 1982

Mr. García joined Cuddy & McCarthy, LLP, on June 1, 2010, focusing his practice primarily on the areas of public utility, energy, regulatory compliance, commercial transactions and corporate and business law. 

Prior to joining the firm, Mr. García was Of Counsel to Miller, Stratvert P.A., in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  While Of Counsel, Mr. García provided legal services to utility clients in retail utility proceedings before the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (NMPRC) and wholesale energy proceedings before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).  These cases involved a variety of regulatory proceedings at these commissions, as well as defending regulatory compliance audits and representing clients in commercial contract negotiations. 

Prior to his position as Of Counsel, Mr. García was Senior Counsel at PNM Resources, Inc. (PNMR), an energy holding company headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  Mr. García was in-house counsel at PNMR and its affiliate, Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM) for fifteen (15) years.  Mr. García had a wide ranging experience as in-house corporate counsel supporting gas and electric utility operations at the retail and wholesale levels, as well as corporate functions.  In addition to representing the utility in administrative retail proceedings before the NMPRC and wholesale regulatory proceedings before the FERC, Mr. García also represented the utility in energy proceedings before the Department of Energy.  Mr. García provided advice and counsel on interpretation and application of both federal and state regulations, electric and gas utility tariffs, corporate compliance requirements, and developed in-house, on-line training for compliance with federal regulations.  Mr. García was lead in-house counsel on the FERC Office of Market Oversight and Investigation operational audit of PNM, and lead in-house counsel on PNM/Western Resources merger transaction.  Mr. García provided legal and regulatory support for a variety of start-up competitive energy services business lines that involved extensive contract negotiations, both domestic and international, in transactions for the joint development, ownership and operation of energy projects, including the development, ownership and licensing of intellectual property.  Mr. García also provided legal support for environmental compliance efforts for electric generation facilities, natural gas and water services operations, and during this period, he had extensive interaction with state and federal environmental regulators.

Prior to joining PNMR, Mr. García was Assistant General Counsel at the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC), where he had extensive experience in all aspects of administrative law and litigation in the regulation of public utilities, oil and gas production and motor carriers.  At the KCC, Mr. García managed and prosecuted electric, natural gas, water utility, railroad and motor carrier cases.  Mr. García was lead counsel for the KCC in electric and natural gas administrative proceedings before the FERC.  Mr. García was also lead counsel for the Staff of the KCC in the merger transaction involving the two largest electric utilities in Kansas.  The KCC’s order from this case, which can be found at 127 PUR 4^th 201 (Kan. S.C.C. 1991), is still a leading case in the industry setting the standards for evaluating the mergers and acquisitions of utilities. 

Mr. García graduated from the University of Kansas School of Law in Lawrence, Kansas in 1988.  He completed the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners Annual Regulatory Studies Program at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, in 1989.  Mr. García graduated with a Bachelor’s of Business Administration from the University of New Mexico, in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1982. 

Mr. García is a member of the State Bars of New Mexico and Kansas.  He is admitted to practice before the United States Courts of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit and D.C. Circuit; the United States District Courts of New Mexico and Kansas.  Mr. García is a member of the American Bar, Albuquerque Bar, Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA) and the New Mexico Hispanic Bar Association (NMHBA).  Mr. García served as the Convention Chair for the 2009 HNBA Annual Convention and First Judicial Summit, held in Albuquerque in September 2009.  Mr. García has served on the Boards of both the HNBA and the NMHBA.  Mr. García previously served on the Board of the Rio Grande Educational Collaborative, Inc., a non-profit organization that developed and implemented programs to keep at risk students in school, and has participated in various Junior Achievement programs at local schools.

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