Paul Afonso

Paul Afonso is a nationally recognized regulatory and energy lawyer with 30 years of experience serving as a trusted advisor and counselor to boards of directors, C-Suite, and management teams across several regulated industries, managing the complex intersection of regulatory, legislative, and political issues. He is currently a partner at Womble Bond Dickinson, a global law firm with 40 offices in the U.S. and U.K., and Chairman of WBD Strategies. His career has spanned the full arc of the ongoing energy transition – from traditional utility regulation to renewable and innovative energy technologies to the large oil and gas sectors. Paul served as senior vice president, chief legal officer, and corporate secretary at the American Petroleum Institute (API). Paul also led API’s Law Committee, composed of the world’s largest oil and gas companies. Prior to this role, Paul was a partner at Brown Rudnick, where he served as co-leader of the firm’s Energy and Government Law & Strategies groups.  Before entering private practice, Paul served as both a state and municipal regulator. He was Chairman (2003-2006) and General Counsel (1999-2003) of the Massachusetts Public Utilities Commission (formerly the Department of Telecommunications and Energy) with oversight of the electric, gas, water, and telecommunications industries. He also served as Chairman of the Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Board and the Boston Water and Sewer Commission.