Sarah Bennett Bures Associate

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Sarah represents electric and gas utilities in complex regulatory litigation before state utility commissions, focusing on clean energy development; integrated resource planning; and first-of-their-kind proceedings in Virginia on grid modernization, energy storage, and transportation electrification. Sarah assists clients with every facet of an administrative proceeding, from strategy development and initial filings through discovery and public hearings.

Sarah also dedicates her time to McGuireWoods’ pro bono efforts. Sarah assists with the development, management, and execution of pro bono programs, initiatives, and events across multiple firm offices while fostering relationship with local legal aid organizations and volunteer attorneys dedicated to pro bono. She manages the firm’s involvement in the nationally-recognized pro bono medical-legal partnership with VCU Health System and Dominion Energy, a partnership that offers free legal advice and representation to low-income patients and their families. She also leads a team of over 50 lawyers across 12 firm offices to assist Afghan refugees seeking asylum in the United States. Sarah is a member of McGuireWoods’ Richmond office Pro Bono Committee.

In addition to firmwide pro bono initiatives, Sarah represents individual pro bono clients across multiple substantive areas, include adult guardianship, asylum, special education, no-fault divorce, housing, and prisoner appeals.

Before joining McGuireWoods, Sarah served as a law clerk to the Honorable John A. Gibney, Jr., of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. While in law school, Sarah served as the manuscripts editor for the University of Richmond Law Review and Chancellor of the Walter Scott McNeill Law Honor Society. She graduated first in her law school class.

Experience

  • Representation of an electric utility in proceedings involving certificates of public convenience and necessity or prudence determinations for clean energy generation projects, including for over 3,200 MW of solar projects and 185 MW of energy storage.
  • Representation of an electric utility in multiple grid modernization proceedings, with a focus on advanced metering infrastructure (“AMI”), transportation electrification, distributed energy resource management systems, and cost-benefit analyses.
  • Representation of an electric utility in first-of-its-kind proceeding seeking approval of utility-scale battery energy storage systems.
  • Representation of a major electric utility in multiple integrated resource planning proceedings in Virginia and North Carolina.
  • Representation of a major gas local distribution company in multiple base rate proceedings.
  • Representation of an electric utility in annual generation, distribution, and environmental rate adjustment clause proceedings.
  • Representation of two Afghan refugees in seeking asylum in the United States.
  • Representation of pro bono client in federal habeas appeal, drafting merits briefing and presenting oral argument before the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.
  • Representation of pro bono clients in seeking guardianships and conservatorships over incapacitated adults.
  • Representation of pro bono clients in education advocacy proceedings in local school districts.
  • Representation of an electric utility in multiple regulatory rulemaking proceedings, including energy storage regulations.