Chris Roach
About Me
Chris is a regulatory lawyer with more than twenty-five years of experience litigating energy, security, insurance, and commercial disputes from trial through appeal in state and federal courts, administrative agencies, and Commissions.
Chris’ trial, appellate and regulatory litigation experience includes cases involving mergers and acquisitions, insurance and energy ratemaking proceedings, electric transmission development, energy, insurance, and securities enforcement matters, contract disputes, and nuclear decommissioning financing issues litigated before the state and federal courts, Maine Public Utilities Commission, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, New Hampshire Nuclear Decommissioning Financing Committee and various state and federal courts and insurance and securities administrations.
Chris’ approach has also earned him the respect of regulators in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and elsewhere, respect and credibility that are necessary to practice effectively before those regulatory bodies.
Experience & Case Work
- Lead counsel representing national energy company at trial and appeal regarding energy transmission corridor project running from Canada to Massachusetts.
- Lead counsel representing national energy company before Maine PUC seeking approval of new transmission project.
- Lead counsel representing national energy company before New Hampshire PUC in litigated proceeding to determine whether electricity ratepayers may bear the cost of natural gas pipeline.
- Lead counsel representing nuclear power plant owner through litigated proceedings to determine the multi-billion dollar cost and financing to decommission Seabrook Nuclear Power Station.
- Lead counsel representing transmission company before the Maine Public Utilities Commission to examine competing proposals for resolving reliability and competitive issues in Northern Maine.
- Lead counsel to regulated utility in defending million-dollar claim for damages resulting from re-energizing power lines during a severe winter storm.
- Counsel to State of California in review, renegotiation and litigation of multi-billion dollar power purchase agreements entered in response to power crisis.
- Counsel to large energy company in action against software subcontractor for damages resulting from potential data breach.
- Lead counsel to ISO New England in enforcement proceeding brought by FERC against energy participant.
- Lead counsel defending management and agents in regulatory enforcement matters brought by various insurance and securities departments across the country.
- Lead counsel in developing new corporate processes and procedures to comply with regulatory requirements, including compliance training of field and management personnel.
- Lead counsel to national insurer in contract negotiations with major hospital systems.
- Lead counsel to national insurer in AAA arbitration concerning hospital and physician provider billing irregularities.
- Lead counsel on appeal to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court on issue of whether regulated rates require a fair and reasonable rate of return.
- Lead counsel in resolving failure to meet Maine's minimum loss ratio requirements and guidance on developing new compliant rate methodology.
- Extensive experience as counsel to multiple carriers in rate-setting proceedings before Maine Bureau of Insurance.
- Lead counsel to health insurance client concerning hospital acquisition activities and potential antitrust implications under Maine and Federal law.
Representative Clients
Bar Admissions
- State of Maine
- Commonwealth of Massachusetts
- United States District Court, District of Maine
- United States Court of Appeals, First and Second Circuits
Honors and Activities
- Martindale Hubbell, AV Peer Rating
- Best Lawyers in America, Insurance Law, Administrative/Regulatory Law, Energy Regulatory Law
- 2024, 2025 Lawyer of the Year, Energy Regulatory Law
- Super Lawyers, Administrative Law