With profound sadness, we announce the loss of our partner Mike Swiger.
Mike joined Van Ness Feldman in December 1985 and became a partner in March 1991. Throughout his career, Mike was known as one of the nation’s premiere attorneys representing the hydropower industry and his passion and commitment to his clients was unparalleled.
Not only was Mike a tremendous practitioner, he was an even better colleague, friend, and mentor. We hold his family in our thoughts and will continue to honor Mike’s many contributions to the firm.
Mike represented a broad cross-section of entities with interests in energy and water development before federal agencies and the presidential administration, the U.S. Congress, and the federal courts. These included investor-owned utilities, state power authorities, municipal utilities, water agencies and irrigation districts, independent power developers, and others.
He had substantial experience on the full range of issues associated with major energy and water projects and was involved in several major hydroelectric license proceedings before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). His litigation experience included both appellate litigation before the U.S. Supreme Court and various U.S. courts of appeal, litigation in the federal district courts, and agency trial-type proceedings. Mike was also involved in numerous agency rulemakings and legislative policy matters relating to hydroelectric licensing.
Mike was active in various water and power trade associations and was a former Advisory Member of the Board of Directors of the National Hydropower Association. In 2005, he was named a Leading Energy Lawyer in the Washington, DC area by The Legal Times (Vol. XXVIII, No. 20). He has written and spoken extensively on regulatory and environmental issues affecting energy and water development.