David W. Hunt has a broad transactional practice and advises clients with respect to energy regulatory issues, including developers, utilities, contractors, lenders and underwriters.

Mr. Hunt began his career in the energy industry working on transactional matters for major utilities, and was instrumental in establishing a nuclear industry joint venture, which grew to include 38 utilities and the four major equipment vendors.  More recently, his transactional work in the energy field has included independent power producers, financial institutions and utilities.

Mr. Hunt has been responsible for mergers and acquisitions, establishment of joint ventures, new business units and complex contract negotiations in various fields.  He has represented the purchaser or bidder with respect to acquisitions of electric and gas utilities, interstate pipelines, power plants, power and energy marketers, and oil and gas reserves.  He has represented international companies with respect to establishment of subsidiaries and manufacturing facilities in the US in the fields of automotive parts and electronic equipment, including site selection and tax exempt financing, and abroad in the fields of manufacturing and refining.

Recently, Mr. Hunt was responsible for representing a major French utility in connection with establishment of a joint venture for development and ownership of new nuclear power plants in the US.  He has represented the International Finance Corporation with respect to financings in Mexico and Bangladesh. 

In 2008, Mr. Hunt was asked by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs to make a presentation to the Forum on Interconnections and Electricity Access for Sustainable Development in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and will continue his work on the related joint UN DESA/African Union initiative.

Mr. Hunt has been involved with the US state and federal regulation of utilities and independent power producers since 1978, including advice regarding regulation by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and state utility commissions, primarily with respect to mergers and acquisitions, establishment of new business units, energy trading and various types of financings.  This included representation of a client in the first sale of investment-grade notes by an independent power project, and of another client in the first issuance of an investment-grade loan secured solely by power purchase agreements. 

On occasion, Mr. Hunt has been asked to take the lead in energy-related litigation.  Mr. Hunt filed an unprecedented lawsuit against the California Public Utilities Commission to compel compliance with federal regulations regarding qualified facilities.  In an unrelated matter, he successfully defended actions by various California state agencies relating to a long-term power contract signed during the California energy crisis and purported class actions based on the same circumstances.

Mr. Hunt was the first in-house counsel for Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.

Since 1986, Mr. Hunt has served as counsel to and an ex officio member of the Congressional Award Board, created by the Congressional Award Act to encourage and recognize achievement and personal development among American youth.  He also serves as counsel to and an ex officio member of the Board of Directors of the Congressional Award Foundation, the foundation established to administer the Congressional Award Program.