Duncan & Allen

What Duncan & Allen does

Duncan & Allen LLP is a Washington, D.C.-based law firm founded in 1970 (with roots in the 1930s) that provides specialized legal counsel to the U.S. energy and natural resource community. The firm serves consumer-owned electric utilities (municipal utilities, rural electric cooperatives, irrigation districts), state public service commissions, state consumer advocates, and governmental agencies, representing them in regulatory proceedings, litigation, and transactional matters nationwide. Practice areas span four core service lines: Electric Utilities (FERC litigation under the Federal Power Act, rate proceedings, RTO/ISO stakeholder processes, and mergers), Environmental (EPA rulemaking, CWA/CAA/RCRA/CERCLA/NEPA compliance and litigation), Natural Gas and Oil Pipelines (Natural Gas Act Sections 4, 5, and 7 litigation, FERC rulemaking), and Telecommunications (FCC proceedings, pole attachments, municipal broadband, and cable regulation).

The firm operates on a fee-for-service professional services revenue model, billing clients for regulatory representation, litigation, transactional work, and advisory engagements. It employs approximately 12 attorneys across two offices (Washington, D.C. headquarters and Braintree, Massachusetts satellite), structured as 5 Partners, a Managing Partner, 4 Of Counsel, and 2 Associates. Notable past representations include amicus work before the U.S. Supreme Court in Hughes v. Talen Energy on behalf of the American Public Power Association and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, FERC litigation for Turlock and Imperial Irrigation Districts related to the California energy crisis, and representation of the District of Columbia in the Exelon-Pepco merger. Senior attorneys include former FERC acting Assistant General Counsel (Colette Mehle), former Kansas Corporation Commission Assistant General Counsel (Jason Gray), former Massachusetts DPU General Counsel (Robert Shapiro), and former DC Department of the Environment General Counsel (Amy McDonnell). GTM motion is enterprise field sales through industry reputation, professional networks, referrals, and active conference participation at NASUCA, APPA, and the Energy Bar Association. The firm underwent a leadership transition on July 1, 2025, when Jason Gray was elected Managing Partner, succeeding John P. Coyle after his 11-year tenure.

Name

Duncan & Allen

Legal name

Duncan & Allen LLP

Website

https://duncanallen.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Duncan & Allen LLP is a Washington, D.C.-based law firm founded in 1970 that represents consumer-owned utilities, state consumer advocates, and regulatory agencies in energy, environmental, and telecommunications matters before FERC, state commissions, and federal courts nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Usk

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Legal Services Fees: Revenue generated through legal counsel and representation fees for regulatory proceedings, litigation, transactional matters, and advisory services. Services are billed to consumer-owned utilities, state agencies, and consumer advocates nationwide.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Duncan & Allen LLP is a Washington, D.C.-based law firm that provides specialized legal counsel and representation in energy, environmental, and telecommunications law. Its work centers on representing consumer-owned electric utilities, state consumer advocates, and regulatory agencies in regulatory proceedings before FERC, DOE, FCC, EPA, state public service commissions, and state and federal courts. Core engagements include FERC litigation, rate and merger proceedings, environmental compliance, natural gas and oil pipeline matters, and telecommunications regulation.

Product overview

Duncan & Allen LLP is a Washington, D.C.-based law firm offering four core legal service practice areas: Electric Utilities, Environmental, Natural Gas and Oil Pipelines, and Telecommunications. The firm represents consumer-owned utilities, state consumer advocates, and regulatory agencies in proceedings before FERC, DOE, FCC, EPA, state regulatory commissions, and state and federal courts nationwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully represented clients in major utility merger proceedings including Exelon-Pepco, Duke-Progress, and Babcock & Brown-NorthWestern
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Van Ness Feldman LLP: Washington, DC-based boutique law firm focused on energy, environmental, and natural resources regulatory law with similar FERC practice focus and comparable client base of consumer-owned utilities and public agencies.
• Beveridge & Diamond PC: Washington, DC-based boutique focused on environmental law with strong overlap to Duncan & Allen's environmental practice (CWA, CAA, RCRA, CERCLA, NEPA compliance and litigation).

Regional players

• Balch & Bingham LLP: Regional firm with energy regulatory and environmental practices serving utilities and cooperatives in the Southeast, partially comparable in client base and matter types.

Broad incumbents

• Eversheds Sutherland: Global law firm with energy and infrastructure practice; Jon Stickman previously worked at Eversheds in England, and the firm offers comparable energy regulatory and transactional capabilities.
• McDermott Will & Emery LLP: Global law firm with a leading energy regulatory practice; former Duncan & Allen Of Counsel Walter Foskett was a partner at McDermott, indicating direct functional overlap in energy and electric utility work.
• Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP: Global law firm with a significant energy regulatory and FERC practice area handling matters for power and pipeline clients across multiple jurisdictions comparable to Duncan & Allen's scope.
• Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP: Large law firm with well-known energy and environmental regulatory practices including FERC matters; broader firm scale but competing for the same utility regulatory engagements.
• Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP: Major law firm with a recognized FERC and energy regulatory practice representing utilities and energy clients across electric, natural gas, and environmental matters.
• Bracewell LLP: Houston-based firm with prominent energy regulatory and FERC practices serving utilities and natural gas/oil pipeline clients, comparable in regulatory depth to Duncan & Allen's core work.

Emerging players

• Akerman LLP: Multidisciplinary firm with a utilities regulatory practice serving electric and telecommunications clients with regulatory and rate case work that overlaps Duncan & Allen's service lines.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Duncan & Allen