Service to Penn State Award

William DeGrandis, ’77 Political Science, is an attorney and partner at Paul Hastings LLP, a global law firm in Washington, D.C. Bill earned his juris doctorate at UCLA in 1980 where he served as a Comments Editor on the UCLA Law Review, followed by a 35-year career in the energy regulatory and transactions area. He has represented clients before both state and federal regulatory commissions in mergers and acquisitions, power supply, transmission, renewable energy, energy storage, and related matters. In deals, Bill negotiates some of the key agreements for new renewable and energy storage facilities and secures regulatory approvals for these projects. He was named by Chambers USA and Super Lawyers as an outstanding energy attorney. Bill has served on the board of directors of the Energy Bar Association, chaired the Association’s Board-level pro bono committee, and is a member of the District of Columbia and American Bar Associations.

As an undergraduate at Penn State, Bill was a member of the Phi Sigma Kappa social fraternity, the Blue Band and concert band, and symphony orchestra. Since then, Bill has distinguished himself both through his philanthropy and his service to students, alumni, the Department of Political Science, and the college. He and his wife, Monica, have established an endowed professorship (jointly with Ted and Tracy McCourtney), a career development professorship, and an undergraduate scholarship for a political science student in the College of the Liberal Arts. He hosts student-alumni dinners in the Washington, D.C., area, sponsors summer internships and full-time positions for liberal arts students, and has hosted other events. He has been a member of the Political Science Board of Visitors in the College of the Liberal Arts since its inception in 2003.

Bill and Monica, a former human relations executive, reside in Great Falls, Virginia.