Bio

Since 2003, William Kissinger has focused his practice on energy matters in California and nationally along with related environmental issues. He developed this practice after spending two years working as senior deputy legal affairs secretary to Governor Gray Davis and serving as the primary legal contact for the Office of the Governor with Cal EPA, Cal Health and Human Services Agency, and the Resources Agency. Bill previously spent four years in Washington, DC, working in senior positions at the White House and the US State Department. Bill served as a member of the Governor Davis’s Energy Task Force, responsible for shaping California’s strategy in responding to the 2001 electricity crisis. He was California’s lead negotiator in the effort to renegotiate the multibillion-dollar energy contracts the state entered into in early 2001. His efforts resulted in greatly improved contract terms with future savings to the state in excess of $5 billion over the life of the contracts. In 2002, Bill was appointed by Governor Davis as a member of the California Electricity Oversight Board. From 1997 to 2000, Bill served as special assistant to the legal adviser for the US Department of State in Washington, DC. From 2000 to 2001, he served as senior adviser for international economic policy at the White House National Economic Council. A member of the firm’s energy industry team and hydrogen working group, Bill’s practice spans energy and environmental matters. He represents conventional and renewable energy companies, storage project developers, municipalities, and publicly owned utilities. His energy practice includes representing parties in litigation arising out of the purchase and sale of electricity as well as providing advice on regulatory matters involving the California Independent System Operator (CAISO), California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), California Energy Commission (CEC), and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Recognized by Chambers USA, Bill is described as “a wealth of knowledge and contacts” by his energy clients. Bill serves as a member of the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board after being appointed by Governor Brown in 2012 and reappointed in 2016, and again appointed in 2019 by Governor Newsom. Prior to joining Morgan Lewis, Bill was a partner in the environmental practice of another international law firm.