Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, announced today that Beth A. Fox has joined its Los Angeles office as a partner in the Energy and Natural Resources practice. Fox comes to Manatt from the Southern California Edison Company, where she served as director and managing attorney of the Power Procurement section of the SCE Law Department.

With more than 17 years of experience at SCE, Fox has a sophisticated knowledge of the energy industry, particularly with regard to large power procurement and energy storage contracts. While overseeing a team of lawyers at the company, she provided legal advice on a multibillion-dollar portfolio of power contracts; negotiated renewable, combined heat and power, conventional power, energy storage and gas contracts; and provided strategic advice on a range of energy-related regulatory issues.

“In a rapidly evolving sector, energy industry clients are frequently presented with unique legal and regulatory challenges” said Craig Moyer, chair of Manatt’s Land, Environment and Natural Resources division. “Beth’s longtime experience helping to guide a traditional utility in a new age of energy will be an immediate asset to clients, while her focus on electricity distribution and storage will nicely complement our practice’s deep experience. We’re excited to welcome Beth to the firm.”

During her time at SCE, Fox provided strategic advice to senior management on the conduct of energy procurement solicitations and on the resolution of contractual disputes. She also served as lead attorney on key resource planning proceedings before the Public Utilities Commission and advised on regulatory and compliance issues. In her latest role as director and managing attorney, Fox was a leader in the industry, recruiting and training the next generation of energy lawyers.

“Manatt’s work in the energy arena has been exceptional, which makes the move back into private practice an exciting one, particularly at this time of change,” said Fox. “I look forward to helping clients navigate their way through the legal complexities that undoubtedly come with any sector in the midst of a transformation.”

Prior to her time at SCE, Fox had 13 years’ experience in the litigation area, as an associate at large firms, a partner in an employment litigation firm and as a deputy district attorney in the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office.

Fox earned her B.A. in Mathematics from the University of California, Los Angeles and her J.D. from New York University School of Law.

Manatt’s Energy and Natural Resources practice has broad and deep experience in dealing with the complex and diverse issues — as well as the substantial opportunities — facing energy and natural resources industries today. Manatt lawyers represent clients across the full spectrum of energy and natural resources, from production to consumption and all the steps in between, as well as industry proponents and opponents, applicants and interveners. The practice has been nationally recognized by U.S. News & World Report as part of its 2016 “Best Law Firms” rankings.

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