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“I rarely experience a dull day at work,” says Priti Patel, assistant general counsel, of her job at Xcel Energy, an electric and natural gas utility headquartered in Minneapolis. The women attorneys who work with Patel agree. With specialties that range from regulatory to real estate to commercial contracts, disputes and litigation, they describe an energy industry that is dynamic and essential to people’s lives. “I enjoy the interplay between business, policy and law,” Patel says of her work. She’s a regulatory attorney working predominately in the area of transmission development. Along with 10 other utilities, Xcel Energy is launching the largest transmission construction effort in Minnesota history, which offers a wide variety of challenges. Mary Lynn Jahnke, assistant general counsel, appreciates the congenial atmosphere of the General Counsel Department at Xcel Energy but also the cooperation she finds among employees in general, particularly field employees. “They are almost uniformly conscientious and care about their work,” Jahnke says. That concern for customers is especially apparent following storms, when crews work long hours to restore power, according to Jahnke. Xcel Energy’s environmental leadership is a point of pride for both Jennifer Thulien Smith, assistant general counsel, and Megan Hertzler, assistant general counsel. For example, the company is the No. 1 provider of wind energy in the nation and has launched a significant effort in Minnesota to reduce emissions from its power plants. That environmental commitment, in fact, was one of the reasons Patel was attracted to Xcel Energy in the first place. “I wanted to be part of a company that was forward-thinking when it comes to the environment and our role in it,” she says. The women also appreciate the fact that Xcel Energy is focused on employee development. “General Counsel provides a supportive environment for women attorneys to have fulfilling careers, develop as attorneys and future leaders, and work for a company that is an industry leader,” Hertzler says. The company’s effort to help employees balance work and family is another benefit. “As a full-time working mother of two young children, that was an important factor for me,” says Patel. As attorneys, the women are integral to cross-functional teams that operate across the company. Thulien Smith likes that kind of variety. “I enjoy the clients I work with, the interesting and challenging issues that I work on daily and the opportunity to learn the business side of the company and provide strategic business advice in addition to more traditional legal advice,” she says. Hertzler echoes that thought when she says, “After spending my initial practice in government and with a private firm, the opportunity to work inside a utility was exciting. As an inside lawyer, I am more deeply involved in the representation of my client, and can work proactively as a partner with the business areas to further its goals.” Wendy Mahling, assistant general counsel, and the newest member of the legal team, agrees with her colleagues. “Xcel Energy’s environmental leadership, the opportunity to work with cross-functional teams and the ability to grow as a lawyer were all things that attracted me to the company,” she says. Xcel Energy operates in eight states and provides a comprehensive portfolio of energy-related products and services to 3.3 million electricity customers and 1.8 million natural gas customers.
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