Former Duke Energy SVP Lara Nichols Joins Troutman Pepper Locke as Partner in Charlotte

Veteran Energy Regulatory Leader Strengthens Firm’s Decades-Long Work in High-Stakes Power and Utility Matters

CHARLOTTE – Lara Nichols, a former senior vice president at Duke Energy Corporation, has joined Troutman Pepper Locke’s nationally ranked Energy Regulatory Practice Group as a partner in the firm’s Charlotte office.

Bringing more than 30 years of industry experience, Nichols most recently served in Duke Energy’s office of general counsel as SVP of state and federal regulatory legal support. In that role, she led the company’s utility regulatory work across its state jurisdictions, including North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, and Indiana, as well as before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

“Lara is a seasoned and well-respected energy lawyer who will add immediate value to the firm,” said Chris Jones, leader of Troutman Pepper Locke’s Energy Regulatory Practice Group. “She has been at the forefront of many of the industry’s most pressing issues and brings an insider’s view into how utilities and regulators tackle those challenges. Her track record will help us both deepen and expand our work in this space while further strengthening our bench for clients facing complex state, federal, and market issues.”

“Lara brings a rare combination of deep industry knowledge and extensive regulatory experience that extends well beyond the Charlotte market,” said Jason Evans, managing partner of the firm’s Charlotte office. “We have worked with her for years in her role at Duke Energy, a longstanding client of the firm, and our lawyers have seen firsthand the strength of her judgment and advocacy. She is an outstanding addition to our team.”

“I’m excited to join Troutman Pepper Locke, a firm long respected in the energy space, and to work with clients and colleagues I’ve admired for many years,” said Nichols. “This role is a chance to focus on the issues that matter most to utilities and their customers — keeping the grid reliable and resilient, planning for modernization, adapting to changing market structures, and managing the pressures that come with unprecedented large load growth. I look forward to putting my experience to work to help clients navigate these challenges and move their strategies forward.”

Troutman Pepper Locke’s market-leading energy practices help clients with their most important and complex matters throughout the U.S. and beyond. From electric power, oil and gas, or emerging technologies, the cross-discipline team is equipped to handle any related matters, drawing on the depth of the firm’s knowledge in the market. Troutman Pepper Locke regularly advises electric utilities, independent power producers, banks, upstream and midstream natural gas companies and service companies, private equity funds, and other large corporations. Learn more at energylawinsights.com.

Troutman Pepper Locke

Troutman Pepper Locke helps clients solve complex legal challenges and achieve their business goals in an ever-changing global economy. With more than 1,600 attorneys in 30+ offices, the firm serves clients in all major industry sectors, with particular depth in energy, financial services, health care and life sciences, insurance and reinsurance, private equity, and real estate. Learn more at troutman.com.