Stephen K. Gardner has been practicing energy and natural resource law for 40 years.
He is widely recognized as an expert in energy strategies, negotiations, and transactions and has served as counsel to major industrial and commercial energy consumers on energy contracts, regulation, utility tariffs, purchasing, hedging and derivatives, dispute resolution and litigation. He has appeared before the United States Senate, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and numerous state public utility and energy commissions.
Mr. Gardner’s expertise also includes the transactional aspects of alternative energy projects, including energy efficiency and sustainability.
Mr. Gardner has extensive experience in legislative and regulatory affairs at both the federal and state levels. For a decade, he served as Senior Counsel in Washington for AMAX, then the nation’s largest integrated natural resource company. In addition, he has provided public affairs advice and counsel to numerous Fortune 500 companies and has led successful lobbying efforts in energy, natural resources, environment, and tax.
Mr. Gardner also has significant background in natural resources, especially in precious metals. He provides advice and counsel to metal refiners, recyclers, and other industry participants on a wide variety of legal issues. He currently serves as the General Counsel of the International Precious Metals Institute.
Mr. Gardner’s practice also includes key aspects of dispute resolution, including litigation, arbitration, and mediation.
In addition, Mr. Gardner has advised numerous non-profit organizations on corporate structure, bylaws, employment law issues, and tax-exempt matters.
Mr. Gardner has been a partner in the energy and natural resource practice groups of a number of major national and international law firms, including Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, McKenna, Long & Aldridge (now Denton’s), and Heller, Ehrman, White & McAuliffe. His experience also includes serving as Director of Energy of the National Association of Manufacturers and as Counsel to the Natural Gas Supply Committee.
Mr. Gardner currently serves as an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, an elected office in the District of Columbia.
