Matt McGovern is a shareholder, registered Wisconsin lobbyist and chair of the firm’s Energy and Clean Technology Section. He focuses his practice on energy and cleantech, and government relations matters for public and private sector clients. He brings a unique perspective to his clients based on his many years of experience in government, politics, and litigation.
Before joining von Briesen, Matt was the government affairs liaison for Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele. Prior to serving Milwaukee County, Matt was a senior advisor at the United States Department of Energy (DOE), in the Office of Energy Policy and Systems Analysis. At DOE, he focused on policy proposals to enable clean energy development, including clarifying jurisdictional issues between FERC and state public service commissions, expanding access to financing for rural electric coops, and support for tribal energy loan programs.
Matt also has significant experience in private practice in government law, employment litigation, voting rights, and eminent domain actions. After law school, Matt clerked for the Hon. Karen E. Schreier, U.S. District Court, District of South Dakota. Besides practicing law, Matt also spent many years in politics working on political and legislative campaigns, including Barack Obama’s primary and general election campaigns, and his own campaign for public utilities commission.
Matt is a member of the Wisconsin Policy Forum’s Research Committee and a member of the Board of Directors of the Regional Transit Leadership Council. Matt also serves on the Conservation Committee for the Village of Shorewood, which is his hometown. He is a member of the Energy Bar Association and the American Constitution Society. In his spare time Matt is an avid runner, having finished nine marathons, including the 2016 Boston Marathon.