Michael J. Settineri
Practice Areas
Industries
Education
- Capital University Law School, J.D., 2001, cum laude
- University of Michigan, B.S., 1989
Bar & Court Admissions
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 wind farms, solar farms and gas-fired electric generation plants in Ohio. 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 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.
Professional and Community Activities
- ARC Industries, Inc., Board of Trustees, 2003-2013; Chairman, 2006-2007
Honors & Awards
- The Best Lawyers in America, Columbus Energy Law "Lawyer of the Year," 2020
- The Best Lawyers in America, Energy Law, 2013-2020
- Abbott Laboratories Chairman's Award, 1996, 1999
News
- 8/15/2019One hundred and thirteen lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2020.
- 8/15/2019Twelve Vorys attorneys have been named 2020 Lawyers of the Year by Best Lawyers. Each year, only a single lawyer in each specialty in each community is honored as the “Lawyer of the Year.”
- 8/15/2018One hundred and thirteen lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2019.
- 8/17/2017One hundred and eight lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2018.
- 2/6/2017On January 31, Vorys Advisors hosted a forum titled “The Future of Ohio’s Energy.”
- 2/1/2017The inaugural Vorys and Vorys Advisors Energy Summit was highlighted in two news stories.
- 8/15/2016One-hundred and eleven lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2017.
- 8/17/2015One-hundred and eighteen lawyers from Vorys were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2016.
- 8/18/2014One-hundred and ten lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2015.
- 8/14/2013One hundred and eleven lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2014.
- 1/2/2013Vorys announced that Matthew E. Albers, Tiffany Bingham Briscoe, Daniel J. Clark, Whitney C. Gibson, Robert J. Krummen, Christina M. Lyons, Joseph B. Mann, Timothy B. McGranor, Adam L. Miller, Ariel A. Mullin, William H. Oldach, III, Nicholas M.J. Ray, and Michael J. Settineri have been named partners of the firm.
- 8/23/2012One hundred and twenty-six lawyers from Vorys were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2013.
Events
- 6/10/2019Vorys Partners Phil Downey, Sheila Nolan Gartland and Mike Settineri presented at the 40th Annual Institute Energy & Mineral Law Foundation on June 10, 2019.
- 6/9/2019Vorys Partners Sheila Noland Gartland and Mike Settineri presented at the Energy & Mineral Law Foundation (EMLF) Annual Institute on June 9-11, 2019.
- 5/21/2019Vorys Partner Mike Settineri spoke at the Energy Forum for the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) on May 21, 2019.
- 10/17/2018Vorys attorneys Phil Downey, Mike Settineri and Wes Abrams presented at the Kentucky Mineral Law Conference in Lexington, Kentucky on October 17, 2018.
- 1/31/2017Vorys advisors Matt Hammond, Tom Neihaus, Todd Snitchler and Zack Space and Vorys attorneys Greg Russell and Mike Settineri were speakers at the Future of Ohio's Energy Summit on January 31, 2017.
- 10/22/2015Vorys Partner Michael Settineri presented at the Kentucky Mineral Law Conference hosted by the Energy and Mineral Law Foundation on October 22, 2015.
- 3/14/2014Vorys attorneys Greg Russell and Michael Settineri presented at the 29th Annual Ohio Environment, Energy and Resources Law Seminar hosted by the Ohio State Bar Association on March 14, 2014.
- 11/21/2013Vorys attorneys Greg Russell, Mike Settineri, Kristin Watt, Tim McGranor and Jon Airey presented at the Northern Appalachian Landman’s Association Seminar on November 21.
Insights
- 3/23/2018The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) recently rolled out a new system, called the “PUCO Community,” that must be used for submitting annual reports and eventually it will have additional uses.
- 3/23/2016On March 8, 2016, a New York Bankruptcy Court issued a bench decision in the Sabine Oil & Gas Corporation Chapter 11 case. The Court’s decision concerning a producer’s request to reject certain portions of its midstream agreements has sent shockwaves through the oil and gas industry.
- 6/7/2012At the governor's request, Senate Bill 315 was introduced in the Ohio Senate on March 22, 2012. After significant revisions, Senate Bill 315 passed the Ohio Senate on May 15, 2012.
- 3/9/2010
- Fall 2001