AUGUSTA — Preti Flaherty announces that attorney and partner Donald J. Sipe, a resident of Auburn, has been recognized by the publication Public Utilities Fortnightly as a 2009 Groundbreaking Attorney. The list of attorneys was published in a report titled “Policy Shift: 2009 Groundbreaking Law and Lawyers Report,” authored by Michael Burr, who also interviewed Sipe on the topic of major energy policy debates in America for the report.

Public Utilities Fortnightly selected attorneys who are known for being at the forefront of the industry’s groundbreaking legal developments. Fortnightly’s list was based on an online survey of in-house counsel at utilities, public utility commissions and trade associations who nominated law firm attorneys.

Sipe’s practice involves applying his expertise to the complex interrelation between law, regulation and economics in the electric markets in order to help clients develop strategies to deal with the challenges of the shifting energy and utility landscape. He also served for 10 years as vice chairman of the New England Power Pool and was elected for two terms as chairman of that organization. Before joining Preti Flaherty, he worked for eight years as a staff attorney with the Maine Public Utilities Commission, a unique experience that afforded him an insider’s understanding of complex utilities issues from consumer, corporate and governmental points of view.

He is a graduate of the University of Maine School of Law.