Adapting to Biglaw: Getting Plugged into the Energy Sector

Katya Valasek:

We're joined today by Juan Dawson, a junior associate who works with energy clients at a very large firm, a firm with a history that highlights the evolving nature of law firms that serve corporate clients. Juan's employer, Troutman Pepper Locke, traces its roots to Atlanta in 1897. It has merged and hired many times over the past 60 years to grow. But with two mega mergers in the last five years, the firm really hit the accelerator. And just this month, January 2025, Troutman Pepper Locke Lord merged. The new firm is now amongst the largest in the world with over 1,700 attorneys and should do over $1.5 billion in revenue this year.

Now, we don't usually talk much about employers this way on this show, but the revenue and headcount volumes will add context throughout today's episode. It's truly a big business. So was it always your plan after graduation to join a big law firm?

Juan Dawson:

Actually, it was not. I went into law school thinking that I was going to be an antitrust attorney and do election law stuff on the side. I wasn't sure exactly how it would end up or where I would end up, but I knew that I wanted to serve the interests of my clients. Interviewing and being hired by Troutman Pepper, now Troutman Pepper Locke, was not something that I explicitly had imagined, but it is something that kind of came about throughout the law school journey.

Katya Valasek:

So let's talk a little bit about this journey. I think it's very common for people to come into law school, think they are motivated in one direction, and then an opportunity or information crosses their paths, and they pivot. You didn't always have an interest in energy practice. So tell me how you got here.

Juan Dawson:

So after my first year of law school, I actually completed a judicial externship at the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. And there, I first was exposed to very light administrative law matters. That is what first opened my eyes to the world of admin law. My second summer, after my 2L year at Villanova Law, I interned for a large law firm in Washington, D.C., focusing on energy matters exclusively. That, coupled with the administrative law background that I had and taking classes in admin law, really propelled my excitement in energy.

Katya Valasek:

Did you have any conflict internally as you made that change? You went in sort of wanting to do public interest stuff, work for the good of the people, and you were starting to find this passion with energy law. Did that give you pause?

Juan Dawson:

It did at first, but it was all evolving. I knew that while I did have a bleeding heart for public interest and working in that space of the law, that good work can be done in the energy sector as well. I think about our climate. I think about ways in which we can improve our climate. And I knew that I could make big impacts in energy law, and it could align with the public's interest.

Katya Valasek:

The shift to looking for a job in the public interest sector and looking for a job in big law is entirely different. I'm thinking in particular that biglaw is much more dependent on the OCI process. What was your experience like trying to dip your toes into applying for these firm jobs?

Juan Dawson:

At Villanova Law, they have a pretty robust career services center. And during my OCI process, it was during the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic. And so, it looked really different than the traditional OCI process we oftentimes hear about. While I knew that I was interested in some sort of public interest path, I did not close myself off to other opportunities, such as those in big law. And so, throughout my process, I kept an open mind. I applied to many different types of jobs in many different sectors. And I let my interest and curiosity ultimately guide my job search process. I have been very fascinated with energy, and I see that it's an evolving space in which things are happening at a very quick pace. And it keeps me on my toes. It keeps things very riveting.

Katya Valasek:

A partner at Troutman told you that you should apply and see what happens. How did that situation come about?

Juan Dawson:

So I had worked my 2L summer at another energy firm. And for all intents and purposes, I was expecting to go back there. I happened to be at a networking opportunity with some alumni from my law school and a partner at Troutman Pepper, now Troutman Pepper Locke, was there. And he and I struck up a good conversation in which he encouraged me to just apply to the firm to see where things go. And I did end up getting an interview and ultimately ended up accepting a job at Troutman Pepper.

Katya Valasek:

I think part of the reason people are afraid of networking events is exactly because of what you just described. There is a chance that a door is going to be open that may not have been on your radar or may have been tougher to get through. Were you nervous while you were having this conversation with this partner who was encouraging you to apply?

Juan Dawson:

I wasn't. I think for me, networking is something that comes natural. I focus on learning about the person as opposed to trying to achieve an end result. And that makes networking a lot easier for me.

Katya Valasek:

Obviously, that application and interview went well. And I want to shift now to talk a bit more about your practice. Your practice seems to me to be especially defined by client industry. Do you think that's because the governmental agencies your clients need to interact with are so specialized in their regulatory scope?

Juan Dawson:

Absolutely. Energy is a very niche practice of the law. Oftentimes, when you think about the law, you think of litigating in a courtroom or drafting contracts on behalf of a client. But energy in the regulatory space, you're interfacing with government agencies at the state and federal level. You're also interfacing with political appointees and political candidates, politicians who are elected into their specific role. You're also interfacing with the transactional side of law as you're needing to draft contracts and execute contracts on behalf of your client's interest. And you also could be interfacing with the courts. So it's a multi-pronged and multifaceted approach in this specific area of the law. It's a little bit different than the traditional avenues of the law.

Katya Valasek:

I know when I was in law school, I was always very self-conscious when I felt like I didn't fully understand something. So I want to do something on behalf of all our listeners. I want to ask you to talk about what you mean when you say energy. What's included? What types of industries? What do you mean when you say you have an energy practice?

Juan Dawson:

So energy law in its most basic form is the practice of making sure that the lights are on, keeping energy flowing on the grid. And all of this goes back to electrons. I oftentimes make a funny joke that I am a lawyer for electrons because what we do is we ensure that as electrons are generated and they're on the grid, that it's done in a safe way, that the prices for which we are charging for these electrons, for this energy is reasonable, and that it's reliable.

And so something that a lot of government agencies at the state and federal level seek to ensure is that whenever you flip the light switch on, that the lights actually do come on. That means making sure that there are no blackouts, making sure that there are no brownouts. It also means the prices for which you pay for your energy, whether it be electricity, oil and gas, whether it be nuclear, wind or solar, is reasonable. And so as an attorney, I help ensure that all of these statutory mandates are adhered to from a legal perspective.

Katya Valasek:

So let's dig into that a little bit more deeply. You are still pretty early on in your practice, and you have just said that this is complicated and multi-pronged. So as a junior associate, what are some of the things you're doing day-to-day?

Juan Dawson:

A lot of what I do day-to-day is support partners and senior associates to solve clients' issues. These things can include integrated resource plans, base rate cases, notice of proposed rulemakings that maybe a government agency like the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (or FERC) may put out, responding to comments on behalf of our clients for some of these rulemakings that these agencies have put out, research and writing memos based on relevant law, and making sure that our clients' interests are best represented in front of government agencies and, if necessary, in front of courts.

Katya Valasek:

So you graduated law school, you passed the bar, and you started practice in this complicated field. How did the people who were more senior than you support you as you started to learn what you needed to do to support their clients?

Juan Dawson:

I think specifically in energy law, the biggest support that I've received thus far is patience. It's generally understood, and I was told this by a senior associate on day one, that it takes at least three years for an entry-level associate to understand the complexities of energy law. Another way in which I have received a lot of support is by being allowed to take first pen on research and writing and receiving feedback on that. And over time, my writing and research methods continue to improve. And ultimately, it makes the life of the senior associates and partners a lot easier.

Katya Valasek:

With something as complicated as the energy work you do, I'm sure there have been missteps along the way. Have you been good at looking at mistakes or things that you may not have fully gotten correct the first time as growth opportunities, or did you struggle to get past any constructive criticism you may have got in your first years of practice?

Juan Dawson:

Constructive criticism can oftentimes be difficult to understand and to implement. Something that I did initially was tell myself time and again that the constructive feedback that I was receiving was not personal. It's an opportunity for growth. So next time, whenever I'm asked to do a similar project, I now know how to best do the project, and also I will receive less constructive feedback.

Katya Valasek:

What are you excited about getting to do in the future when you have more experience?

Juan Dawson:

I'm really looking forward to more client-facing opportunities. Being able to communicate directly with the client and dive into their issues is something I look forward to doing. I also am looking forward to the future of energy in this country. We are in an energy revolution, and this is a time in which there's a lot of exciting things happening in the energy space, and I'm just excited to grow and kind of be at the forefront of the energy revolution.

Katya Valasek:

Sounds very exciting, but change can also be very hard and complicated. Do you anticipate any hurdles that are going to impact the work that you do?

Juan Dawson:

Absolutely. A lot of energy coincides with science and scientific developments. And so, for example, when you think of nuclear energy, nuclear energy is very clean. It's good for the climate. However, it can also be dangerous for the environment if it's not properly stored. And so, as we continue to think about how do we properly store nuclear waste, for example, without harming the climate, there might be some harmful impacts that come as we ultimately get to where we are trying to go. But the thing that we must remember is that progress is not linear. I think what matters most is making sure that we are on the path to progress and not expecting perfection as we get there.

Katya Valasek:

So the answer you just gave had some pretty scientifically driven pieces. Do you get to interact with scientists and other energy professionals on a day-to-day basis?

Juan Dawson:

Yes. I oftentimes make the joke that I'm an attorney, but I have to think like an engineer because there is a lot of developments going on in the energy space that frankly happen because of science and because of engineers, not because of attorneys. And so, whenever we're interacting with these niche energy topics, we have to think as our clients think, which is how do we make the next scientific advancement to ensure that energy is reliable and the cost is reasonable. We as attorneys, as energy attorneys, have to think like engineers, like scientists. We make these proposals to various government agencies and bounce ideas back and forth with our clients.

Katya Valasek:

So I'm going to make an assumption that based on your initial interest in antitrust and voting rights, you were not a science major in undergrad. What has the process been to learn to speak in the language of scientists to fully understand what it is they're telling you so that you can best represent your clients' needs?

Juan Dawson:

Correct. Well, it's been a long, arduous path. Energy law has a lot of acronyms and learning those acronyms is not an easy process, but it's something that you develop over time. In undergrad, I was a multidisciplinary major in economics, law, communications, and government, nothing to do with science. I went to a liberal arts school, and I had no idea of any of the terms and acronyms that I am currently using today. But over time, as you continue to hone in on your practice, you start to develop the language of the practice and the language of engineers. And in those ways, once you understand the acronyms and understand how to apply them, you naturally learn how to best represent your clients' interests.

Katya Valasek:

Energy is complicated. Is there anything that you've seen that is a part of your practice that surprised you that it's included in this bundle of work that you do?

Juan Dawson:

What has surprised me the most is the amount of interaction that energy attorneys have with government officials. Everything that deals with energy must be approved by regulators. And so, I was very shocked to see that even the smallest changes in energy policy must be approved.

Katya Valasek:

Let's step back for a second, back to law firm economics and the impact that it has on lawyers. You started at the firm a few years ago, and the latest merger was announced in 2024, progressed throughout the year, and was finalized just a few weeks ago. How did you feel about the merger?

Juan Dawson:

This is the first merger that I will have gone through, so I'm not sure exactly what to expect. But what I do know is that this is an opportunity for growth, and that, more than anything, really excites me.

Katya Valasek:

Have there been any surprises for you as you begin this new phase of the firm with this new merger?

Juan Dawson:

None so far. You know, I think the firm has done a really good job at making sure that we, as attorneys, are all supported and that everything has been seamlessly integrated. When two companies merge, there will be some policies that will change for some of the employees, but it's not been something that we have experienced, particularly on the Troutman side. I do look forward to meeting more of my new colleagues as we continue to chart this new wave, this new era of energy law.

Katya Valasek:

You put a lot of effort and hours into your time in law school. How has the transition been from a workload perspective, now that you're putting that effort into billable hours?

Juan Dawson:

The truth of the matter is that the hours that I put in in law school translate to the hours that I put in at a big law firm. Law school, and really a lot of other schools outside of law school, are a training ground for what your life will look like. And I remember in law school making intentional efforts to be in the law library as early as 9 a.m. and oftentimes getting home as late as 6 p.m. And that translates to what my day-to-day looks like at a big law firm. It's funny because oftentimes when we're in school, we think that our lives will drastically change once we become a working professional. But the truth of the matter, at least in my experience, is that what I was doing in school translates over to how I work as a professional.

Katya Valasek:

You ended up at a big firm doing energy law. And these were concepts that were not on your radar when you started law school with the intention of doing antitrust work and voting rights work. What do you enjoy about the work that you do now that you're at the firm? Is it similar to what initially sparked your interest in law?

Juan Dawson:

So it's not similar to what has initially sparked my interest in law. But what I do enjoy about it is that we are in an energy revolution. And being able to be at the forefront of all these new developments is really exciting. What is similar about my initial spark of interest in the law is that I knew I wanted to work on consequential cases. And energy has been just that. A lot of the things that we are working on in our day-to-day are consequential to not only everyday Americans, but it's also consequential in our fight against climate change.

Katya Valasek:

Do you ever think about what might have happened if you had gone the route of pursuing antitrust law?

Juan Dawson:

Yes, all the time. And I still think that I would be satisfied with my career. I was an antitrust paralegal before going to law school, so I'm very familiar with that type of work. And so, although I'm not an antitrust attorney, energy law checks all the necessary boxes for me that I wanted before I went into law school.

Katya Valasek:

And what are some of those boxes?

Juan Dawson:

Really, for me, it was about doing public good, working on consequential matters, and being able to be a dynamic person, being able to have a work-life balance where possible, and also being able to do good for the public.

Katya Valasek:

You obviously care about the environment. But sometimes corporate clients are doing things that are adverse to environmental interests. So how do you grapple with that potential conflict in your role at a firm with predominantly corporate clients?

Juan Dawson:

Oftentimes, you're not able to change the larger picture, but you are able to make small, incremental impact. For me, I focus on small, achievable impact. It gives me peace of mind in knowing that the work that I do is ultimately going to benefit generations down the road and benefit our climate as we think about how to protect our world from climate change.

Katya Valasek:

One last question. You are doing complicated work in a high-stakes setting. What do you do to unwind?

Juan Dawson:

A couple things. I love spending time with my wife and my family. We have a small cat who keeps me busy and she keeps me active. I love traveling. I also love reading. I also love being in nature. Something that my wife and I oftentimes do is we just make time to be with each other in nature. And I have found that it has been a great way for me to unwind.