Michael J. Settineri

Mike is a partner in the Vorys Columbus office and a member of the energy group.  In addition to his legal experience, he has 11 years of project engineering and operations management experience, including design and construction of large capital projects.  Using that experience, he provides practical advice to clients on a wide range of utility and energy matters, including developing and permitting utility-scale solar facilities and gas-fired electric generation plants.  Mike also has extensive experience litigating matters before the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, the Ohio Power Siting Board, and the Ohio Oil and Gas Commission.  In addition to Mike’s regulatory and litigation practice, he regularly advises clients on matters related to the supply of energy services from the competitive market, including generation supply from renewable energy resources and compliance with PUCO regulatory requirements for suppliers.  He also advises clients on other energy-related transactions, including electric service agreements and infrastructure agreements with electric utilities, as well as matters involving the Ohio Building Code, and regularly appears before the Ohio Board of Building Appeals.     

Career highlights include:

• Lead trial counsel in a PUCO complaint proceeding on behalf of an industrial manufacturer against an electric utility which resulted in a finding that the utility acted unreasonably and an order in favor of the manufacturer
• Assisting clients in obtaining approvals from the Ohio Power Siting Board for multiple projects including utility-scale wind, solar and natural gas-fired electric generation projects totaling over 5,500 megawatts of electric generation capacity
• Successfully arguing before the Supreme Court of Ohio on four separate occasions on behalf of wind farm developers to defend certificates issued by the Ohio Power Siting Board
• Advising clients on midstream pipeline and natural gas processing projects including permitting and regulatory matters, plant electric service and road use maintenance agreements
• Successfully representing clients in obtaining PUCO approval of special rate contracts with local electric distribution utilities
• Lead counsel for the development of a 22-mile natural gas pipeline project including regulatory approvals

Mike is a member of the Ohio State Bar Association, the Ohio Oil and Gas Association, the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation and the Energy and Mineral Law Foundation.

Mike has spoken at seminars on various topics relating to developing gas-fired power plants, wind farms and solar farms, procuring and managing electric supply, mineral interest conflicts, road use maintenance agreements, gas gathering and processing agreements, oil and gas permit appeals, and induced seismicity.

Mike received his J.D. cum laude from Capital University Law School and his B.S. in chemical engineering from the University of Michigan.

Honors & Recognitions

Chambers and Partners, Leading Lawyer in Energy & Natural Resources, 2024-2025

Columbus CEO, Best Lawyers, Energy Law, 2023-2024

The Best Lawyers in America, Energy Law "Lawyer of the Year," 2020

The Best Lawyers in America, Energy Law, 2013-2025

Abbott Laboratories Chairman's Award, 1996, 1999

Professional & Community Activities

ARC Industries, Inc., Board of Trustees, 2003-2013; Chairman, 2006-2007