Louise Gibbons J.D. ‘09 introducing panelists at CLEE’s Lunch & Learn at Orrick’s SF office, October 2025
By Keemia Zhang
The annual Center for Law, Energy & the Environment (CLEE) Lunch & Learn hosted by Orrick San Francisco recently convened a dynamic mix of practicing lawyers, energy developers, policymakers, researchers, and Berkeley Law students to discuss the rapidly fluctuating landscape of renewable energy development in California, federal policy shifts, and the industry’s future. The high-level speakers included developers Jesse Bryson (Catalyze) and Cassidy DeLine (Linea Energy), Orrick tax partner John Eliason, and California Chief Service Officer Josh Fryday J.D. ‘09.
“I loved it because I had a connection with each of the panelists and it was so fun to have them engage in conversation and dialogue,” remarks Orrick Partner Louise Gibbons J.D. ‘09. “I thought it was really great for Josh, as a California politician, to hear directly from the developers about impediments and incentives to developing power in the state; and John [Eliason] provided great perspective on tax law and other federal regulatory hurdles, such as permitting for wind projects, for example.” As Gibbons notes, “The work that Orrick and CLEE do to bring different stakeholders together is how we’re going to solve and work through these greater issues; by having the perspectives of policymakers, private practitioners, and developers, all listening and engaging in constructive discourse.”
The CLEE Partners Program: Exchanging Ideas and Talent
This collaboration between different entities in the energy and environmental policy world is enabled by the CLEE Partners program. Navigating the rapidly evolving legal and policy landscape of the energy sector requires ongoing discussions between academic and legal practitioners. The program is the vehicle through which top law firms partner with CLEE to facilitate these discourses and engage with students and the broader energy and environmental law and policy community.
The partnership between CLEE and Orrick is deeply rooted in the Berkeley Law community, originally beginning in 2019 when Gibbons and former CLEE Executive Director Jordan Diamond J.D. ‘08, who were once classmates, started discussions to get Orrick more involved.
Proceeds from the program support Berkeley Law student programs with marquee events like the annual Lunch & Learn at Orrick, as well as student career fairs that directly connect students with potential future employers.
Orrick’s involvement has extended to the contribution of pro-bono time for policy research on subjects like financing models for energy infrastructure and decarbonizing aviation. This aspect of the Partners Program channels law firm talent into CLEE’s core mission of helping state and local governments develop effective policies and ensuring those policies deliver results.
The support from CLEE Partners like Orrick is an investment in non-partisan policy action, ensuring the complex, interconnected challenges of climate and energy are met with durable, collaborative solutions. For more information, see the CLEE Partners Program page or email jkatz@law.berkeley.edu.
This article was made possible by support from the Erin Ziegler Fund, an endowment for the Center for Law, Energy & the Environment within Berkeley Law.