Husch Blackwell is pleased to share that Katherine Lengieza Gross has joined the firm as senior counsel in its Energy and Natural Resources industry group, based in the firm's Austin office. Gross brings more than 15 years of direct experience from inside the organizations that regulate the Texas electric market, adding capabilities and deepening the firm’s strength in matters involving grid operations, market rules, and compliance across the state's energy sector. Her addition comes on the heels of two recent energy hires: Senior Counsel Marc Burns, whose career spanned several Texas state agencies, and Benjamin Brothers, who joined from the Tennessee Valley Authority.
Gross’ background spans three organizations central to Texas electric industry oversight: the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the Texas Reliability Entity (Texas RE), and the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT). As senior corporate counsel at ERCOT, she worked on the technical protocols governing market participants, including demand response programs, credit and collateral requirements, virtual power plants, contract terms for additional market capacity, and the process for revising ERCOT protocols and operating documents. At Texas RE, she oversaw the analysis and disposition of enforcement matters involving North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) reliability standards covering cybersecurity, planning, and real-time grid operations. At the PUCT, she spent a decade advising commissioners on contested cases and representing the agency in contested electric, telecommunications, and water matters, including litigation before the State Office of Administrative Hearings.
“Katherine’s experience inside ERCOT, Texas RE, and the PUCT gives our clients a perspective few attorneys can offer,” said Anna Kimbrell, partner leader of the firm’s Energy and Natural Resources industry group. “She has sat on the other side of the table at the agencies that write, interpret, and enforce the rules governing the Texas electric market. That vantage point means clients get guidance grounded in how these regulators actually evaluate issues, not just what the rules say on paper, which is invaluable as more companies navigate the evolving market requirements in Texas.”
“I’m excited to join Husch Blackwell’s robust Energy Regulatory practice, which gives me the opportunity to apply my experience alongside colleagues across the firm’s energy platform, so clients get regulatory guidance that reflects how these agencies actually operate and make decisions,” Gross said.