Peter Funk is an energy, construction and business lawyer with wide experience in regulated and unregulated energy and construction matters. He is of counsel to Couch White, LLP.

Energy Law

Mr. Funk has an extensive background in conventional, renewable and on-site generation as well as interconnection and ISO matters including transmission and distribution. His experience also includes demand response and energy conservation projects and encompasses numerous energy commodity purchase and sale agreements. He advises clients, large and small, throughout the energy industry, and has often served in the role of outside general counsel—from gas and electric utilities to “full service” energy services companies (ESCOs) and others.

His comprehensive energy practice includes participating in:

• the conceptual stage of project formation
• development and negotiation of project agreements
• financings
• legal compliance
• identifying and procuring incentives
• construction and equipment installation agreements and issues
• associated real property instruments
• project-related workforce and other matters
• project performance

Projects have included private and public on-site cogeneration, renewable energy, conservation measures, energy management and data centers. His renewable energy practice includes solar, biomass and biogas installations and waste-to-energy.

Construction Law

Peter Funk’s construction practice includes energy projects from large power plants to on-site generation, electric and gas transmission/distribution and energy management and conservation projects.

He has extensive experience relating to the build-outs of retail store interiors and exterior façade and water-proofing projects. He also provides services relating to general construction and has worked on multi-family residential as well as commercial office and institutional buildings.

Industry Activities

A member of the American Bar Association and the New York State Bar Association, Mr. Funk is a former chairman of the Committee on Public Utility Law. He is also a member of the New York City Bar Association, where he currently serves on the Energy Committee and has served on the Futures Committee (liaison with the Energy Committee) as well as the Telecommunications, Construction Law and Nuclear Law Committees. He is a former member of the National Association of Energy Service Companies and an associate member of the Association of Energy Engineers. He received a “Green Team” award from the New York Association of Realty Managers, of which he is a member.

Publishing and Presentations

He is a frequent author and presenter on topics in the energy and sustainability sectors, and is a regular contributor to Mission Critical magazine’s column, “Legal Perspectives.” (Click to view a full listing of articles, columns and presentations by Peter V.K. Funk, Jr.)

He served on the technical advisory board of Mission Critical magazine, and was formerly a member of the Advisory Board of Energy and Power Management magazine (formerly Energy User News) and the legal advisory board of the Nuclear Energy Insurance Company.

He is a former director and president of the Co-op Board of 322 Central Park West in New York City, where he initiated a unique real-time pricing energy demonstration project. He has participated in volunteer groups and organizations such as the Cooperative Coalition to Prevent Blackouts in order to address problems in electricity supply and end use in the NYC Metropolitan area and on a national basis.

Background and Education

Prior to starting Funk & Zeifer with Ellen Zeifer in May, 2012, Mr. Funk practiced law for more than 35 years, first as an associate and, beginning in 1973, as a partner at Gould & Wilkie (one of the oldest firms in NYC, with a distinguished history), which merged with the international law firm of Thompson Hine during 2002. In 2005, he moved to Duane Morris as a partner to develop its transactional energy practice.

Mr. Funk is a 1973 graduate of Boston University School of Law, where he won an American Jurisprudence Award. He practices before federal and state courts and regulatory agencies and is admitted in New York State Supreme Court, the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern, Northern and Southern Districts of New York, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, the Supreme Court of the United States and the U.S. Tax Court. Mr. Funk served in the U.S. Army, 5th Special Forces Group in Vietnam.

View Articles and Presentations by Peter V.K. Funk, Jr.