Meet Our Dedicated Renewable Energy Legal Team
Michaud Law Group comprises a high-caliber and experienced team of renewable energy attorneys and project development professionals.
Our extensive network of industry players, including civil engineers, electrical engineers, financial players, large renewable energy companies and investors, and various local, state, and federal governmental connections and resources, is at your disposal to ensure the success of your renewable project. To date, Michaud Law Group has represented the development of over 1 gigawatt of renewable energy projects, including solar, battery energy storage systems, fuel cells, and microgrids.
Michaud Law Group is highly effective in helping its clients throughout the renewable energy project development life-cycle, from site identification to site control to off-taker and incentive programs, to interconnection, to securing construction permitting, to construction, to commercial operation, and to project asset purchase and sale.
Paul R. Michaud
Managing Member Attorney
Home: (860) 338-3728
Email: pmichaud@michaud.law
Attorney Paul Michaud founded Michaud Law Group in 2017 after years of practice in the electric, utility, and renewable legal fields. His practice primarily focuses on renewable energy, including administrative and regulatory matters before the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, and the Connecticut Siting Council. Paul is uniquely adept at drafting and negotiating a myriad of renewable energy project contracts and transactions. His clients benefit from his extensive experience, including international, national, and regional renewable energy companies and funding entities.
With 29 years in the electric, utility, and renewable energy law field, Paul has honed his expertise in renewable energy project development. He serves clients in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Maine, and New York. His client services span the entire renewable energy project development spectrum–from advising on program incentives to handling siting and permitting and representing clients in regulatory and litigation matters. His extensive experience representing solar, battery energy storage, fuel cell, and microgrid clients, and his frequent role as regional and statewide counsel for renewable energy developers and financing clients, are a testament to his capabilities and reassure potential clients of his expertise. A unique aspect of his practice is his specialization in developing renewable energy projects on former commercial, industrial, brownfield, and power plant sites, demonstrating his innovative approach to the field.
In 1995, Attorney Michaud earned a J.D. Degree from New England Law | Boston, where his classmates elected him as the Class Representative, a testament to his leadership skills. In 1987, Attorney Michaud earned a B.S. in Finance from Bentley University in Waltham, Massachusetts. Attorney Michaud is admitted to practice law in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Arizona, and the United States District Court in Arizona.
Bernadette Antaki
Member Attorney
Home: (860) 395-8337
Email: bantaki@michaud.law
Attorney Bernadette Antaki serves MLG’s clients well with her 29 years of experience in civil litigation and appeals in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Arizona courts. Bernadette’s practice is broad and versatile. She represents retail and commercial solar and renewable energy companies, focusing on renewable energy-related administrative law and regulatory matters before the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA), the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), and the Connecticut Siting Council (CSC). She also handles administrative law appeals to the Connecticut Superior Court, as well as tax matters on renewable energy projects both at the local level and in Superior Court.
Before joining the firm, Bernadette was the Managing Attorney at a Connecticut and western Massachusetts regional office of a national creditors‘ rights and consumer collections law firm. This role provided her with a unique perspective on business and consumer law, enhancing her ability to handle a wide range of legal matters, as well as litigating a high volume of civil cases in Connecticut and Massachusetts courts. This experience was preceded by a significant role as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Arizona, representing a State agency in matters before the trial court and appeals courts in Arizona.
In 1995, Bernadette earned a J.D. Degree from New England Law | Boston, where she was a writer and editor for the Environmental Law Journal. Her academic achievements, including a B.A. in Political Science from Assumption College, Worcester, MA, in 1991, underscore her commitment to the legal profession and her deep understanding of the law. Bernadette is admitted to practice law in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Arizona, and the United States District Courts of Connecticut and Massachusetts.
Monica Sterling
Associate Attorney
(Pending Bar Admission)
Phone: (860) 829-9632
Email: msterling@michaud.law
Monica Sterling, an Associate Attorney at Michaud Law Group, is passionate about developing renewable energy projects. Her focus areas include contract review, project permitting and siting, administrative law proceedings, and regulatory and policy advocacy. Before joining the firm, Ms. Sterling gained valuable experience with regulatory and policy advocacy at the Vermont and California Public Utilities Commissions. Notably, she played a crucial role in implementing community solar projects in Vermont, a testament to her impressive hands-on experience.
Monica earned a B.A. in Political Science from Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is also a recent graduate of the Vermont Law & Graduate School in Royalton, Vermont, where she earned both her J.D. and an M.S. in Energy Regulation and Law. The Vermont Law and Graduate School is one of the top five environmental law schools in the United States and is nationally renowned in restorative justice and climate change law. While at Vermont Law, she served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Vermont Journal of Environmental Law for Volume 25, a role that not only showcased her exceptional leadership skills but also instilled confidence in her peers. Monica is awaiting her bar exam results to practice law in Connecticut and Washington, D.C.
Mark R. Sussman
Of Counsel
Phone: (860) 573-9151
Email: msussman@michaud.law
Attorney Mark Sussman has had a distinguished career as an environmental lawyer. Mark began his career as a U.S. Department of Justice trial attorney, representing the Environmental Protection Agency, the Army Corps of Engineers, and other federal agencies in environmental litigation.
Mark has been a trusted counsel and representative for environmental matters for renewable energy company clients. His role as lead environmental counsel in developing and permitting a variety of power plants, including renewable and fossil fuel plants and waste-to-energy facilities, speaks volumes about his expertise and the security he provides for his clients. Notably, he negotiated the first community environmental benefit agreement for a power plant in an environmental justice community. His frequent representation of clients in on-site remediation and brownfield redevelopment projects and concerning a wide range of environmental compliance issues such as air and water quality, hazardous waste management, and land use regulations further underscores his competence and the security his leadership brings to his clients.
Mark's strategic advice is a testament to his knowledge, insights, and relationships from practicing environmental law in Connecticut for over 40 years. He has guided solar, battery energy storage, and fuel cell clients on selecting, permitting, and developing new sustainable energy resources on former brownfield sites and former power plants, ensuring their renewable energy generating projects are both environmentally sound and economically viable.
Mark's professional accolades reflect his exceptional career and the confidence he instills in his clients. As a Fellow of the American College of Environmental Lawyers, Chair of the Connecticut Bar Association, Environmental Law Section (1984-1987), and holder of an AV Preeminent® Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Rating™, he has been recognized for his outstanding contributions to the Field. His consistent listings in Chambers USA, America's Leading Lawyers for Business, Connecticut Super Lawyers®, and Best Lawyers® in the areas of Environmental Law and Environmental Litigation, as well as in Who's Who in America, Who's Who in American Law, and Who's Who Legal: The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers, Environmental Law, further underscore his professional standing and the confidence he inspires in his clients. These accolades are a testament to his expertise and the quality of his work, instilling confidence in those he serves.
Mark's strong foundation in law and engineering is evident in his educational background. He earned his J.D. cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and a B.S. in Civil Engineering summa cum laude from Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts. This unique combination gives him a comprehensive understanding of environmental law's technical and legal aspects and successfully developing renewable energy generating facilities on brownfield and former power plant sites. His strong educational background is a source of security for his clients, assuring them of his ability to navigate the complexities of their projects.
Robert Ives
Project Development Support Professional
Phone: (860) 829-9233
Email: rives@michaud.law
Bob Ives is a key member of MLG, providing crucial support to the firm’s legal team. His role is pivotal in every phase of project development for our clients, from conception to generation to off-take to sale or acquisition. Working closely with the firm's attorneys, Bob's utility and technical project development expertise and experience are instrumental in assisting the firm’s landowner, developer, and financier clients with their end-to-end project development needs.
Bob brings a wealth of experience to the table, with an extensive background in energy utilities. He spent 19 years at Eversource Energy in its energy efficiency department. His journey also includes significant roles at the Energy and Commerce committees of the Connecticut State Legislature, as the Director of Government Affairs and Economic Development at the Greater Waterbury Chamber of Commerce, and as the Executive Director of the Connecticut Democrats. His diverse experience, which includes serving as Chair of the Ansonia Inland/Wetlands Commission, a member of the Southington Conservation Committee, and currently as the Southington Zoning Board of Appeals Chair, showcases his adaptability and well-rounded skill set. Bob holds a B.S. in Industrial Technology from Central Connecticut State University and an M.S. in Public Policy from Southern Connecticut State University.
Alan Chubbuck, Jr.
Project Development Support Professional
Phone: (860) 829-9234
Email: achubbuck@michaud.law
Alan Chubbuck, Jr., is a vital part of MLG, providing crucial support to the firm’s legal team and every project development phase for our clients. As a fourth-generation family farmer at the Breezy Hill Farm in Pomfret Center, Connecticut, Alan is uniquely equipped to assist the firm’s clients with their solar projects on farmland and those utilizing Agrivoltaics.
Alan is a strong advocate for the uniqueness of every relationship and the value it deserves, a belief that is deeply ingrained in the firm's culture. His diverse background, including his service in the United States Marine Corps, franchise owner experience, and youth sports coach role, has shaped his understanding of the importance of individual relationships.
Alan earned a B.A. in Psychology from Eastern Connecticut University in 1990.