Whitney Snyder

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Partner

Whitney focuses her practice on administrative litigation in the public utility, pipeline safety, natural gas, electricity and municipal and private water and wastewater sectors, practicing predominantly before the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission for the past ten years.

Whitney has substantial experience in assisting:

  • public utilities with utility regulatory compliance and administrative litigation including rate cases, service complaints, procurement planning, mergers and acquisitions, tariff interpretation and changes, comment proceedings regarding policy and regulation proposals
  • pipeline operators with compliance and litigation involving Act 127 Pipeline Safety matters and application of PHMSA regulations
  • utility customers and property developers with disputes with public utilities and natural gas and electricity suppliers
  • unregulated entities with questions of PUC oversight and compliance
  • municipalities with disputes with public utilities

Whitney also practices in the areas of appellate litigation and argues appeals before the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court. She contributes to the Pennsylvania Appellate Advocate blog.

Whitney is a past Chair of the Public Utility Law Section, currently serves on the Administrative Law Section Council, and is a member of the Commission on Women in the Profession of the Pennsylvania Bar Association.

Whitney joined HMS in 2013 after graduating from Widener Commonwealth School of Law.  Prior to working at HMS, Whitney interned at the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. Whitney also interned as a Law Clerk in the PUC's Law Bureau.

Representative Matters

  • Energy Transfer and Sunoco Pipeline L.P. Present PA counsel in PA PUC matters involving service, facilities extension and construction litigation, rulemaking, and regulatory compliance matters. (2017-present)
  • Pike County Light & Power Company. Counsel in stock acquisition of electric and gas utilities and present PA counsel for electric and gas utility. (2016-present)
  • Columbia Water Company, Present counsel in PA PUC matters (2018-present).
  • City of Pittsburgh counsel in PA PUC matters (2020-present)
  • The Pennsylvania State University counsel in Columbia Gas and First Energy rate or regulatory proceedings on rate structure and rate design issues, natural gas transportation service, Default service proceedings; 1307(f) gas supply and access proceedings; Alternative Regulation proceedings; rulemakings; Power Purchase Gas and Electric Agreements; utility siting and agreements or advice for extensions of water, sewer, electric and gas utility facilities; Hydro Power Purchase Agreements; Solar transactions; (2017-present)
  • Leatherstocking Gas Company LLC. Present counsel before PA PUC (2017-present).
  • Herman Oil and Gas and Reimer Natural Gas.  Lead counsel for natural gas utility.
  • Merger and Acquisition Matters before the PA PUC
  • Counsel in PA PUC matters, to Community Utilities of PA Inc., Audubon Water Company, and Emporium Water Company (Present)
  • Attorney General in electricity Complaint proceedings before FERC and Ninth Circuit

Professional Affiliations

  • Pennsylvania Bar Association
  • Dauphin County Bar Association
  • Bowman Inn of Court
  • Dauphin County Lawyers for the Arts
  • Women’s Council on Energy & the Environment (WCEE)
  • Energy Bar Association
  • Public Utility Law Conference, Faculty

Honors and Distinctions

  • Past Chair, Public Utility Law Section of the Pennsylvania Bar Association
  • American Bankruptcy Institute Medal of Excellence 2012-13
  • Super Lawyers® Rising Star 2019-2023
  • Legal Intelligencer, Lawyers on the Fast Track Award, 2019 

Judicial Internship

  • Intern Clerk to the Honorable J. Michael Eakin, Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 2013

Government Service

  • Law Clerk, Pa P.U.C., Law Bureau, 2012