Today it was confirmed that Brena, Bell & Clarkson is in the process of buying Gov.-elect Bill Walker’s law firm, Walker Richards, where Craig Richards, who is Walker’s pick for attorney general, is a partner. Walker’s daughter Lindsay and his wife also practiced law at the firm. The terms of the deal aren’t yet known, but they will be subject to public disclosure.
Robin Brena owns Brena, Bell & Clarkson, and is best known, at least among the media, for his work for local governments and relatively small energy companies against the big ones. He’s an artful, often successful lawyer. He and Walker’s firm have joined forces in the past in their work for municipalities on the trans-Alaska pipeline tax valuation.
Brena chaired the Walker-Mallott transition committee on oil and gas issues.
Excellent! I look forward to anyone holding the present major producers into producing and making projects or getting out. Their double speak about producing and expanding is just that. With 3-decades in the business, its been painful to watch alaskans get duped over and over. Without stimulus of a foot in the ass, CP, BP and Exxon will simply maintain status quo. We need more competition in Alaska and we need it now.
This deal is full of ethical entanglements thus far unseen by Alaskans. A major question that exists is will Governor Walker now represent the state’s interest or will he use his power and authority in exercising his hatred of the producer community. The public will always wonder if Brenna was a real buyer, a stalking horse, a tool in a battle against the producer or simply a beard? Time will tell. Who knows, we might never know.