As sustainable and renewable energy issues become more critical across the western United States, Nancy Saracino joins Crowell & Moring LLP as partner in the San Francisco office and chair of the Western Energy Practice. Since 2007, she has served as vice president, general counsel and chief administrative officer for the California Independent System Operator Corporation (CAISO). At CAISO, she oversaw legal, compliance, governance and control functions.

“State and federal energy law and environmental policy are changing at a rapid rate, which means practitioners must constantly adapt to meet client needs,” said Saracino in a statement. “The changes are coming from every which way – from California's new energy imbalance market, providing the first West-wide market, to state environmental mandates, to regulatory changes and challenges at both the state and federal levels. Crowell & Moring's appreciation for the ever-evolving nature of the energy industry and of energy law, combined with its culture and premier reputation and capabilities in the regulatory, litigation and transactional arenas, makes my move to the firm very exciting.”

A former chief counsel and chief deputy director of the California Department of Water Resources and supervisor in the California Department of Justice's Energy Task Force, Saracino advises clients on a broad spectrum of matters including.