Since 2016, Chad Seely ’02 has served as general counsel and corporate secretary at ERCOT (Electric Reliability Council of Texas), the nonprofit corporation responsible for managing the flow of electric power to more than 27 million Texas customers. He has built a rewarding career focused on regulatory policy, compliance and the management of litigation and dispute resolution.
Seely never doubted he would become an attorney. “I was always good at advocating, or should I say arguing, and then convincing people,” he said. Likewise, he had no doubt about attending South Texas College of Law Houston.
As an undergraduate at Texas Tech University, Seely worked at a Lubbock law firm. One of the firm’s attorneys was an adjunct professor at Texas Tech’s law school and the faculty advisor involved with their advocacy program. “I quickly learned from him the advocacy team from South Texas Law seldom lost,” Seely said. “I wanted to be part of that experience, so I set my sights on joining them.”
While a student at STCL Houston, Seely distinguished himself as an advocacy champion, bringing home awards and a national title. Relocating to Austin, after law school he started his career at the Texas Department of Insurance, where he handled enforcement cases against insurance companies and agents. He gained experience with administrative law and regulatory compliance.
“After a few years in litigation management, I was looking to reach the next level,” Seely said. “I thought about moving to continue expanding my skill set and strengthening my capabilities on the agency side. When the opportunity at ERCOT came along, I made the move.”
When Seely first came to ERCOT, he handled disputes and regulatory policy that allowed him to gain a more in-depth understanding of the unique regulatory environment of the Texas energy industry.
“I learned a lot and became good at strategic thinking to solve complex energy problems,” he said. This led to his expanded role, one in which he is immersed in regulatory policy and effective communication of those complex issues instead of day-to-day litigation.
Now also a senior vice president, Seely’s current responsibilities include overseeing ERCOT’s legal and regulatory affairs, corporate communications, managing litigation strategies, and leading the organization’s compliance efforts with federal and state policies. He is also in charge of cybersecurity initiatives, physical security, internal audits, and governance programs. He has gone beyond lawyering and has become a business leader.
Seely played a critical role in addressing operational reliability and market issues following the scrutiny the organization faced after winter storm Uri pushed Texas’s power grid into a crisis in 2021.
“I feel a responsibility to and a connection with the millions of Texans who rely on ERCOT every day,” he said. “As the demand for electric power continues to grow, the issues we face will continue to be extraordinarily complex. Those challenges create great opportunities. Solutions will need to be dynamic and innovative. We will need to keep up with increasing electricity consumption without facing grid reliability challenges.”
The lifelong Texan who loves an intellectual challenge acquired lawyering skills at South Texas Law that continue to serve him well in his capacity as a “navigator for business decision making.” Seely relies heavily on problem solving and strategic thinking skills.
“Learning how to communicate well and knowing my audience was also critical,” he said. “I learned to collaborate and develop the kind of trust and respect that leads to team success. All these abilities are a result of my time at South Texas Law.
