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Catherine E. Garza

Counsel

Cathy is part of Eversheds Sutherland’s Energy practice and State Energy Regulatory Group.

She advises energy clients, including investor-owned utilities, power generation companies, retail electric providers and developers, in a wide variety of commercial litigation, regulatory/administrative law, transactional and compliance matters. Cathy has represented clients in state and federal courts, before state and federal agencies and before arbitration panels.

As part of the State Energy Regulatory Group of Eversheds Sutherland’s Energy practice, Cathy regularly advocates for her clients in contested proceedings before the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the State Office of Administrative Hearings, including rate cases, sale/transfer/merger proceedings and applications to amend certificates of convenience and necessity. Leveraging her nine years of litigation experience, she helps her clients draft and negotiate contracts. Cathy also advises on regulatory aspects of transactions, including Federal Communications Commission licenses.

In addition, Cathy counsels on availability and disparity studies and the implementation of Disadvantaged Business Enterprise, Minority/Women-Owned Business Enterprise, Historically Underutilized Business and Small Business Enterprise programs, including drafting or reviewing requests for proposals (RFPs) for disparity study consultants, evaluating responses to RFPs, negotiating with the selected consultants, overseeing and conducting legal reviews of the disparity study reports and implementing the final studies’ recommendations. Cathy also reviews governmental entities’ related policies and procedures.

Outside of work, Cathy enjoys traveling, music, trying new restaurants, cycling, running and hiking.

  • Defending state commission’s request for proposal process against challenges by unsuccessful bidders.
  • Represented a Texas electric utility in 2016 rate case.
  • Defending constitutionality of state certification statute against Commerce Clause and Contracts Clause challenges.

Cathy presented a legal update on DBE programs at the 2019 Western Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Civil Rights Training Symposium. 

 

AYLA’s President’s Merit Award (2021)

Selected for inclusion in Texas Super Lawyers® “Rising Stars” (2022-2023)

  • Past Board Member, Austin Young Lawyers Association (AYLA)
  • Past Member, Equity Committee Leadership Team, Austin Bar Association
  • Member, Hispanic Bar Association of Austin
  • Texas
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
  • B.B.A., magna cum laude, Texas A&M University
  • J.D., The University of Texas School of Law,

    Texas International Law Journal, Voted Most Valuable Member 2012-2013

Catherine Garza

Counsel

Catherine Garza

Counsel

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