Well, here’s where Diane “Ransom” is!
OH. MY. DOG. Did you know Diane Ramthun, formerly PSC Counsel, is now at Reynolds Oliveira, LLC? Diane’s Reynolds Oliveira page HERE! Diane’s own “Diane Ranthum” page HERE!
Diane Ramthun is the one who called me up as the Wisconsin CapX 2020 Hampton – La Crosse project was getting going, and she told me I couldn’t practice before the Wisconsin Public Service Commission! That non-attorneys were not allowed to practice! Here’s the WI Code:
Diane, that’s not true! There it is in brown & white… Yup, not true, but that was her statement, which I interpreted as a threat. She was so unreasonably insistent that, in filing the Petition for Intervention, I offered to file a Pro Hac Vice Motion if necessary.
When we got before Judge Newmark about it, he rolled his eyes and said it’s not an issue, non-Wisconsin attorneys can practice before the PSC. DOH!
She’s also the one who pushed so hard for, and got in the CapX Prehearing Order, onerous copying requirements; that despite use of ERF, the PSC’s electronic filing system, we had to file 15 copies of everything for PSC staff, that color files required color copies, and we had to mail them a 55# box of copies, and THEN she changed it to CDs of documents. None of that is necessary. Since use of ERF, no other cases required those copies. It was a waste of effort and $1,500 of money that we could ill afford.
I was told by a little birdie at a PSC prehearing conference that such a requirement was not normal, in fact had only occurred in that one case.
There are more examples, but these are two points in the line of abuse of process by this one particular PSC staff attorney, trying to keep the people out.
And now look where she is! After a brief trial of private practice after she left the PSC, she’s now at Reynolds Oliveira, also where Oliveira is the “new owner.” From their website:
Reynolds Oliveira LLC Welcomes New Owner and New Attorney
February 15, 2015
Attorney Marcel S. Oliveira has become the owner and principal attorney of Reynolds Oliveira LLC as the firm welcomes energy law veteran attorney Diane M. Ramthun to its team. Read more…
This is as of February 15, 2015, but when did this change start? It’s not something done lightly or done overnight.
The website is “under construction.”
How involved was she in this Badger-Coulee docket? The Reynolds Oliveira site says, “Diane M. Ramthun, our practice leader in this area…” Oh my! What was her influence was on the CETF/SOUL intervention? What was her influence on the path they took, the issues raised and issues not raised, down to the very questions asked or not asked, including questions not asked of PSC witnesses at the hearing?
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