Pillsbury’s Jeffrey Merrifield Transitions to Partner Emeritus Role to Pursue Broader Energy Opportunities as Tim Walsh is Named New Practice Group Leader

Merrifield will continue to serve as a critical part of Pillsbury’s broad Energy industry offering, helping to shape the firm’s forward-looking energy initiatives and market-leading nuclear and fusion practice. While he is relinquishing his administrative duties, he is not retiring and will continue to provide advice and counsel to his Pillsbury clients.  His long-time colleague and partner Tim Walsh will take the helm as leader of the firm’s Nuclear & Fusion practice.

“This is a time of unprecedented innovation and transformation in the energy sector, and my new role reflects this important moment,” said Merrifield. “Stepping back from administrative responsibilities allows me to spend more time supporting clients bringing new energy technologies to market. It also affords an opportunity for me to further immerse myself in other, more commercial, aspects of the industry.”

During his three decades of involvement in the energy industry, Jeff has developed wide-ranging relationships throughout the international nuclear community that allow him to identify strategic and legal solutions for major energy and environmental matters. He is considered a leader in advanced nuclear and fusion deployment and has assisted large and developing nuclear utilities, suppliers and governments in effectively meeting their regulatory requirements and strategic objectives regarding the deployment of complex energy systems.

Merrifield is also deeply connected across the nuclear industry. He currently serves as Chair of the U.S. Nuclear Industry Council (USNIC) and was a founding board member and past chair of E4 Carolinas—the 150-member Energy Association of North and South Carolina.

Walsh steps into the practice leader role with extensive nuclear-related experience, having advised on complex technical litigation, internal investigations, whistleblower claims, and appellate matters for the industry. He routinely provides counsel to clients regarding NRC regulatory matters—including Access Authorization/Fitness for Duty, Part 21, Safety Culture and Safety Conscious Work Environment (SCWE)—and licensing issues.

“Pillsbury has a long history of pioneering energy work, in connection with nuclear, fusion and a host of other new energy technologies,” Walsh noted. “I’m honored to lead our groundbreaking group forward and to continue advancing our clients’ varied goals in this dynamic space.”

Pillsbury stands at the forefront of the nuclear renaissance, helping clients modernize nuclear generation, bring innovative nuclear technologies to market, and meet present and future energy demands through novel deployments of nuclear power. As the world’s oldest and largest nuclear energy practice, the group has worked continuously through six decades on large-scale nuclear energy projects and their financing across the United States, Canada and more than 30 other countries. The firm’s work has been repeatedly recognized on the international stage and is consistently ranked among the elite nuclear energy law firms in the world by Chambers Global and Chambers USA.