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Eric F. Swanson

Clients call me when they need a steady hand at the wheel.

Contact: P /612.604.6511E /[email protected]

Education

University of Wisconsin Law School, J.D.

University of Wisconsin, B.A., Political Science

Bar Admissions

Minnesota

U.S. District Court, D. Minn.

Ho-Chunk Nation

My Approach

Navigating complex regulatory, legislative or appellate matters, particularly in the energy and environmental sectors, is often stressful. With deep expertise in the legal, financial and policy aspects of these matters, I partner with my energy provider and developer clients to help alleviate the stress associated with these processes, offering them a steady hand to work through whatever comes our way.

Before joining the Winthrop team, I served as an Assistant Attorney General with the Minnesota Attorney General’s office, where I was directly involved in litigation, regulatory, appellate and legislative matters relating to energy, telecommunications, consumer enforcement, and charities. Drawing upon that experience, I bring a uniquely comprehensive perspective to my practice. I am able to combine my litigation experience, appellate advocacy, legislative work, and investigative counseling – with experience on both sides of the table – into one cohesive approach for my clients, providing clear, actionable insight and direction when my clients need it most.

I view myself as a critical part of my clients’ teams, not merely as an outside advisor. I share in my clients’ commitment to responsible business practices, and I am committed to helping them develop practices that best align with these goals. Legislative and regulatory work is also relationship driven; my strong connections with regulators and other decision-makers are invaluable in helping my clients’ achieve practical, lasting outcomes.

Outside of work, I love anything that gets me outside, like fishing, camping, canoeing, and backcountry ski trips. I also enjoy spending time at our family lake home in northern Wisconsin.

Practice Areas

Practicing Energy Legislative & Regulatory

My Experience

I focus my practice on representing clients before state and federal regulatory bodies, in the courts, and at the legislature in the areas of energy and environmental law. My energy and environmental work has involved representing a wide variety of clients, including investor-owned utilities, independent power producers, wind energy developers and other renewable energy producers, and large industrial customers. In addition to representing my clients in contested proceedings, I work closely with clients to obtain all necessary regulatory approvals and to ensure ongoing regulatory compliance.

Representative Matters

• Oversee all aspects of energy facility permitting and siting, including wind energy, electric, natural gas, and petroleum facilities.
• Extensive advocacy, including contested case litigation and general rate proceedings, before state agencies such as the Office of Administrative Hearings, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, Department of Commerce, and before appellate courts.
• Representation of energy and telecommunications clients at the Minnesota State Legislature and in agency rulemaking proceedings.

Practicing Energy Litigation & Appeals

My Experience

I represent regional and national energy suppliers, renewable energy developers, public and private utility providers, and others along the energy continuum on all types of disputes, from regulatory and corporate disputes to administrative and appellate matters. I have successfully argued matters on behalf of my clients before government entities ranging from city councils to state agencies and legislative bodies, as well as in the courts, from district courts to the Minnesota Supreme Court.

Representative Matters

• Secured regulatory approvals for major energy facilities, from wind and solar projects to petroleum pipelines and successfully defended those approvals on appeal.
• Served as lead counsel for a public utility in the first multi-year rate case in Minnesota, resulting in approval of a four year rate plan for the utility.
• Secured a complete appellate victory on behalf of our client, a public utility, in utilizing a “value of solar” rate for its proposed community solar garden. The case involved complicated questions of statutory authority and challenges based on the Takings and Contract Clauses of the U.S. Constitution.
• Represented a public utility in successfully dismissing an action brought by a local solar association challenging the utility’s application of a certain engineering standard to manage the addition of solar power to the electricity grid. This case represented a novel challenge to a utility’s engineering standard in Minnesota, attempted through a novel procedure.

Also experienced in

Regulated Industries

Advocacy & Lobbying

Attorney General Investigations & Enforcement Actions

Regulatory Audits, Investigations & Enforcement Actions

Appellate

Environmental

Honors & Awards

Minnesota Super Lawyers®

2003-2004, 2007, 2011-2025

The Best Lawyers in America®

Minneapolis Lawyer of the Year: Energy Regulatory Law, 2022, 2024
Minneapolis Lawyer of the Year: Administrative/Regulatory Law, 2020, 2024
Minneapolis Lawyer of the Year: Energy Law, 2011, 2017, 2019, 2021
Administrative/Regulatory Law, 2010-2026
Energy Law, 2007-2026
Energy Regulatory Law, 2021-2026

Benchmark Litigation

Litigation Star, 2013–2026
Benchmark Appellate, 2012-2014

Chambers USA

Leaders in their Field, Energy & Natural Resources, 2025

LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell

AV Preeminent®, Peer review ratings

Minnesota Monthly

Top Lawyers in Minnesota, Energy Law, 2023, 2025

Associations & Memberships

American Bar Association

Infrastructure and Regulated Industries Section

Ramsey County Bar Association

Hennepin County Bar Association

Minnesota State Bar Association

Administrative Law Section, Past Chair
Public Utilities Section, Past Chair
Communications Section
Public Law Section

St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church

President, Church Council