Fox Discusses Public Utility Law
The Washburn Business Law Society hosted Robert Fox on Thursday, February 16, 2006. Mr. Fox, from the Topeka office of Foulson Siefkin LLP, spoke about public utility law.
Mr. Fox started his presentation by giving a brief history of the telephone industry. He spoke to some of the changes in the industry as a result of deregulation. There is still uncertainty in this area that will continue due to the changing technologies being offered to consumers, such as bundled packages, Voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP), and text messaging.
Mr. Fox also spoke about the Kansas Corporation Commission and the many roles they have in regulating utilities within the state. Public utility law is a niche field in the state with only a handful of attorney’s practicing in it. However, Mr. Fox has found it be a fascinating line of work because it is constantly changing and evolving. A big topic on the horizon is how renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar energy, will be regulated. Mr. Fox also mentioned attorneys need to be cautious of conflict of interest problems while representing clients in this area.
