Bill Magness is partner at McDowell Rackner Gibson since 2023. His practice focuses on energy and telecommunications law, with an emphasis on regulatory, litigation, policy, and business advice to regulated companies.

Prior to joining McDowell Rackner Gibson, he spent over twenty years focused on administrative litigation and appeals. He was lead counsel in cases before utility regulators in sixteen states and served as appellate counsel for cases in several federal circuits. Bill has also served as a general counsel in telecommunications and energy companies, and as the Chief Executive Officer of an electric independent system operator. 

As General Counsel, Magness represented the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Inc. (ERCOT) in all aspects of its business and regulatory matters before state regulators and state and federal courts. His work also included managing ERCOT’s corporate governance, regulatory compliance, and corporate risk management (2010-2016).

Magness graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1984, with highest honors in the University’s Plan II Liberal Arts Honors Program.  He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and was employed on political campaigns and at the Texas Department of Agriculture.

He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1987. Magness spent his third year of law school as a Visiting Student at Harvard Law School. He was an Editor of the University of Pennsylvania Law Review.