Anthony C. DeCusatis

Of Counsel

Anthony C. DeCusatis is of counsel in Morgan Lewis's Energy Practice. Mr. DeCusatis represents electric, natural gas, water, and oil pipeline utilities in regulatory, transactional, and tax matters as well as tort and contract litigation involving issues specific to utilities and energy suppliers. A large part of Mr. DeCusatis' practice consists of adversarial proceedings before regulatory agencies and appellate courts encompassing rate increase litigation, prudence reviews, issuance of certificates, service/reliability complaints and investigations, siting of electric utility facilities, and audits of related-party transactions. He also represents and counsels utilities and nonutility energy suppliers on emerging issues created by the transition from regulation to competitive markets.

Following the enactment of comprehensive electric restructuring legislation in Pennsylvania, Mr. DeCusatis counseled and represented electric utilities in contested restructuring proceedings before the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission and in subsequent appeals. He also advised Pennsylvania electric utilities seeking to securitize stranded costs. Mr. DeCusatis represents utilities and energy suppliers in mergers, acquisitions, strategic partnerships, and project development/finance matters and counsels lenders and underwriters in transactions involving utilities and energy-related businesses. He has represented acquiring and acquired companies in obtaining regulatory approvals for several of the largest electric and water utility acquisitions and mergers in the United States.

Mr. DeCusatis has spoken at numerous industry and bar conferences on regulatory issues pertaining to mergers and acquisitions of public utilities, the regulation of the water utility industry, electric industry restructuring and deregulation, stranded cost recovery, and the securitization of stranded costs.

Mr. DeCusatis is the former chairman of the Public Utility Law Section of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and continues to serve as a program planner for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute’s biennial Public Utility Law Conference. He is also a former section liaison to the Board of Governors of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and the former chairman of the Tax Developments Committee of the Energy Bar Association (EBA). He currently serves on the EBA's State Commission Practice and Regulation Committee.

Mr. DeCusatis is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania.