Damien Lyster has been hired as a partner in the Energy Regulatory Practice Group for Kirkland & Ellis, the firm announced Monday in a news release.
Lyster comes to Kirkland after 16 years at Vinson & Elkins, where he was a partner since January 2022.
“Damien is an excellent lawyer and brings additional senior-level regulatory experience to Kirkland’s market-leading energy and infrastructure practice,” said Jon A. Ballis, Chairman of Kirkland’s Executive Committee, in the release. “We’re very excited to welcome him to the firm.”
The practice group Lyster is joining specializes in advisory matters concerning legislation, regulation and more.
A 2008 graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law, Lyster will practice out of Kirkland’s Houston office. He answered some questions from The Texas Lawbook about why he made the move to Kirkland and what he sees in his space:
What was attractive about Kirkland and its opportunity that enticed you to move from V&E, where you had spent your entire legal career?
I have seen Kirkland’s tremendous growth in Texas over the last several years and knew a handful of the attorneys helping push that growth forward. After meeting more of the energy and infrastructure team, it was clear to me that the firm has a strong commitment to helping clients across the energy industry navigate the complexities of energy project development and transactions, including regulatory developments. Moving over to Kirkland’s Houston office is a great opportunity for me to help lead those efforts from Houston, the energy capital of the world.
What are two of the biggest energy regulatory issues facing your clients today?
This is an exciting time to be an energy regulatory attorney because so much of what the industry is trying to do is tied in with (and sometimes tied up by) regulatory matters. I would say one of the biggest issues facing my clients today is the uncertainty of potentially critical changes in regulations affecting infrastructure development.
Another big issue similar to agency rulemakings is the ongoing national dialogue over energy legislation and subsequent regulation of both traditional energy and the energy transition. We have seen Congress propose and, in some cases, approve legislation that could either facilitate or hinder infrastructure development, and our clients must be ready to respond to those potential changes if and when they take effect. I am looking forward to working with the energy and infrastructure here at Kirkland to counsel some of the largest energy companies in the world through these complexities.
What are you seeing or keeping an eye on over the next six months to a year in the energy regulatory space?
As I mentioned, the energy regulatory space is exciting and dynamic right now, and there is a lot to keep an eye on. On the federal level, one thing that I am keeping an eye on is how the recent addition of new FERC Commissioners might change policies and rulemakings that come from that agency. Each new commissioner comes with his or her own view of the world, and it will be interesting to see how those views meld together into FERC orders over the next several months.
Two decades ago, you spent two years in the Baltimore City Public School system as a third-grade teacher for Teach for America. What was that experience like? How did it prepare you for the challenges and opportunities you’d encounter eventually during your legal career?
Teaching was the hardest job I have had and teachers and school administrators have my utmost respect for the work they do. Teaching for me was immeasurably rewarding on the good days and unbearably frustrating on the bad days. I left that experience with a great appreciation for teachers and the importance of public education. Those two years helped me understand the importance of trying to see the big picture and approaching difficult problems from a diversity of approaches and perspectives.
And which is more hectic — peak energy deal season in Texas or managing a classroom?
Without question, managing a classroom of third graders – particularly during the last week of school!