Jones Day has announced that Dan Howard has joined the firm as a Partner in its Energy Practice, based in the Brisbane Office.
Mr. Howard has more than 25 years of experience advising renewable energy, mining, electricity and gas companies on project development, regulatory issues, commodity contracts, off-take arrangements, and infrastructure agreements. He has been a trusted advisor to corporate and government participants in the development of some of Australia's largest electricity, renewable energy, gas, and coal projects. Prior to his legal career, Mr. Howard was a civil engineer working in civil design and contract administration.
Mr. Howard joins a team of more than 120 lawyers worldwide in Jones Day's Energy Practice who provide counsel to clients regarding transactions and regulatory issues involving energy and natural resources. He will collaborate with Jones Day lawyers and work closely with the Firm's clients on matters related to disputes, regulatory compliance, competition, state aid rules, infrastructure development, marketing and trading, and M&A transactions.
"Dan's unique background as both an engineer and a lawyer provide him with a depth of understanding of large-scale energy projects that inform the high-level legal counsel he is able to provide to clients," said Jeff Schlegel, who leads Jones Day's Energy Practice. "His robust experience working on electricity, gas, mining, water, and utilities projects is a tremendous addition to our global practice and we are delighted that he has joined Jones Day."
Mr. Howard has been involved with numerous acquisitions and sales of large-scale energy projects, and he regularly advises generators, distributors, and retailers of electricity. He has also advised on a number of green energy projects to secure carbon pollution reduction through alternative energy sources and is consistently recognized by clients and independent directories for his experience in this area of practice.
"Dan has been named by his peers as one of Australia's best energy lawyers for each of the past 13 years and was recognized by Chambers Asia-Pacific in 2021 as a leading energy and natural resources lawyer in our region," said John Cooper, Partner-in-Charge of Jones Day's Brisbane Office. "He is an exceptional addition to the Jones Day team here in Brisbane and the Jones Day Energy and Resources Practice in Australia, and we look forward to working with him."
Mr. Howard earned a bachelor of civil engineering degree and a bachelor of laws degree from Queensland University of Technology. He is a member of the Australian Corporate Lawyers Association and The Resources and Energy Law Association.