Adrianne M. Waddell
Partner
Overview
Adrianne M. Waddell is a litigation attorney in Holland & Knight's Austin and Houston offices. Ms. Waddell focuses her practice on a wide range of matters involving energy, electric utility law, administrative law, environmental, finance, e-commerce, healthcare and commercial litigation.
Ms. Waddell is experienced in representing clients in state and federal courts, arbitration venues and the Texas State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH).
Ms. Waddell is well versed in compliance matters for various regulated entities at the state and federal levels, including electric cooperatives, oil and gas, and healthcare corporations. She represents clients before the:
- Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC)
- Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC)
- Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)
- Rural Utilities Service (RUS)
- Texas Department of Insurance (TDI)
- Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC)
Ms. Waddell has assisted clients with regulatory due diligence, agency rulemakings and reporting, electric rate cases, transmission certificate of convenience and necessity (CCN) proceedings, and permit hearings. She also has defended clients for alleged violations of agency rules.
In addition to her litigation practice, Ms. Waddell often handles contract negotiations and corporate governance matters. She regularly drafts and negotiates independent contractor agreements, bylaw amendments, management and director training materials, and board resolutions.
Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Ms. Waddell worked for the PUC in the Commission Advising and Docket Management Division.
In the community, Ms. Waddell serves on the board of Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas, where she is an active volunteer in their Eviction Task Force. She also serves on the board of the Hispanic Bar Association of Austin and Music to Life, a nonprofit that connects socially conscious musicians with the resources needed to realize their bold visions for community change. She is vice president for the Council of Affiliates on the Board of Governors of the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA).
Representative Experience
- Assisted electric cooperatives with respect to legislation impacting their industry
- Advised distribution cooperatives and generation and transmission (G&Ts) cooperatives regarding legal issues and best practices, including with respect to governing laws and legal principles, employment disputes and operations
- Drafted and negotiated independent contractor agreements from specific projects to recurring operations
- Represented electric cooperatives in transmission cost of service and certificate of convenience and necessity (CCN), as well as sale, transfer and merger proceedings before the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC)
- Defended an electric cooperative in a class action concerning patronage capital, cooperative governance and excess revenue disputes
- Represented electric cooperatives throughout Texas in high-stakes personal injury matters, class action disputes and other complex commercial matters
- Represented a commercial business in permitting hearing before the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC)
- Assisted with Texas energy regulatory due diligence review in financing and asset transfer transactions for renewable energy projects (solar, wind, battery storage)
- Represented a commercial business in lawsuit regarding Clean Water Act (CWA) violations
- Represented a commercial business in the compliance phase of a Consent Decree regarding CWA violations
- Represented a commercial business in lawsuit implicating jurisdiction of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)
- Represented managed care entities, insurers and research institutions in multiple venues across Texas on complex commercial issues, including multimillion-dollar breach of contract actions and termination appeals/litigation
- Defended an insurer against a high-dollar claim for alleged violations of temporary disability insurance (TDI) forms rules
- Represented healthcare corporations before the Texas State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH)
- Advised healthcare corporations on contractual and statutory compliance matters
- Worked on multistate and multimillion-dollar commercial litigation matters, including title loans, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and property disputes (i.e. adverse possession, nuisance, easements and rights of way)
- Represented clients in multiple personal injury and fatality matters
- Defending e-commerce clients in connection with user disputes
Credentials
- The University of Texas School of Law, J.D.
- Rice University, B.S., Civil Engineering
- Texas
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
- Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas, Board Member, 2020-Present; Board Secretary, 2024
- Music to Life, Board Member, 2021-Present
- Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA), Member, 2015-Present; Young Lawyers Division Representative, Region XII (Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas), 2018-2021; Board of Governors Delegate for Council of Affiliates, 2023, 2024; Vice President of Affiliates and Associates, 2024
- Hispanic Bar Association of Austin, President, 2023; Treasurer, 2020-2022; Charitable Foundation, 2020-Present, Hispanic Heritage Lunch, Co-Chair, 2021-Present
- Young Hispanic Professional Association of Austin, Fundraising Co-Chair, 2017
- Longitude.site, Advisory Board Member, 2020-2022
- Rice University Alumni Austin Chapter
- J. Chrys Dougherty Award, Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas, 2024
- Hot List, Lawyers of Color, 2023
- Outstanding Services Award, American Bar Association Military Pro Bono Project, 2021, 2023
- Holland & Knight Pro Bono All-Star, 2017-2021, 2023
