Carrie Rome Tournillon

Carrie Tournillon practices at the intersection of utilities regulation and energy law, including oil, natural gas and pipeline-related issues. Carrie is known and valued for providing smart solutions to businesses seeking to achieve their commercial objectives through government. Listed among Chambers’ Band 1 Louisiana Energy & Natural Resources: Utilities lawyers, Carrie currently serves as a Councilmember and Past Chair of the Public Utilities Section of the Louisiana Bar Association and member of the Board of Directors of the Energy Bar Association – Louisiana Chapter.

Carrie brings decades of proven skill in achieving successful client outcomes to her Texas and Louisiana-focused administrative, public utility, and energy law practice. She ably guides clients through their most important energy projects – all with a focus on ensuring compliance with complex federal and state regulatory law.

Carrie represents industrial manufacturing, refining, and related energy industry constituents before the Louisiana Public Service Commission, Louisiana Pilotage Fee Commission, and Council of the City of New Orleans. She has assisted private equity in acquiring natural gas distribution systems in Louisiana and Mississippi, including through transaction diligence, regulatory approval, and closing processes, and with the stand up of the new natural gas public utilities. Carrie also navigates business clients through utilities-focused regulatory matters involving the LPSC, CNO, Public Utility Commission of Texas, the Railroad Commission of Texas, the State Office of Administrative Hearings, and district courts.

Notably, Chambers USA notes that Carrie “… is commended for her work with utilities in complex administrative proceedings and project development-related matters… before the LPSC and the PUCT.” Chambers describes her strengths as being “… a thorough and meticulous lawyer, with a good eye for detail” and “… zealous on behalf of her clients when advocating for them.”

Carrie also assists local distribution natural gas utilities, water and sewerage utilities, liquids intrastate pipeline companies, and telecommunications companies with complex regulatory matters, and has proven, time and again, her ability to resolve even the most difficult contract disputes and regulatory issues.

Prior to joining Kean Miller, Carrie practiced in Texas, serving as a Staff Attorney for the PUCT before entering private practice with a law firm specializing in representing clients in utility regulatory matters before the PUCT and RRC. At the PUCT, she represented the commission on a wide variety of electric and telecommunication proceedings, rulemaking proceedings, and ERCOT protocol enforcement cases. Carrie also worked on the PUCT’s Emergency Management Response Team during Hurricane Ike. This direct experience working inside the commission exposed Carrie to the many facets of utilities regulation. Since entering private practice, Carrie has continued to expand her expertise across the full spectrum of regulatory considerations and effective problem-solving.

Because Carrie is fluent in the agency decision-making process, she knows how to serve as a catalyst for realizing her client’s end game. Her unique perspective, undeniable know-how, and immediate accessibility to the right government professionals are a value-add and benefit to those she serves. There is no substitute for this type of hands-on experience – one of the many reasons clients consistently turn to Carrie to realize their most ambitious goals.