RICKEY WAYNE MINIEX, CPA, ATTORNEY AT LAW

Rickey W. Miniex is a founding partner in the law firm of Simien and Miniex since its inception in 1987. He is a graduate of Southern University Law Center where he was a member of the Southern University Law Review and Order of the Coif. Mr. Miniex graduated second in his class of 117 students. Mr. Miniex is also a licensed Certified Public Accountant and has been since January 1983. He has Bachelor of Science degrees in both Accounting and Finance from the University of Southwestern Louisiana, which he obtained in May and December of 1981.

Mr. Miniex is a former Assistant Adjunct Professor of the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette). He taught both Administrative Law and Introduction to Paralegal Studies from 1987 to 1989. He is a member of the Lafayette, Louisiana State, and American Bar Associations, the Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association, the Louisiana District Attorneys Association, and the National District Attorneys Association. He is admitted to practice in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, the Supreme Court of Louisiana as well as the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal. He is also licensed to practice in the State of Texas.

Mr. Miniex practiced as a Certified Public Accountant for two years prior to becoming an attorney, with the CPA firm of Broadhurst, Sikes, and Gardes in the Lafayette office performing services in the auditing, tax and management advisory services departments. He has worked on a number of major audits and continues to keep abreast on current developments in all areas of accounting. Mr. Miniex has been licensed since 1981 and maintains a current license as a Louisiana Certified Public Accountant. This requires at least 40 hours per year of Continuing Professional Education.

Mr. Miniex has lectured for the Continuing Professional Education courses regarding Accounting, which were sponsored by the University of Southwestern Louisiana. Mr. Miniex has successfully represented more than one thousand clients in the Lafayette area including the Lafayette Consolidated Government, Louisiana Public Service Commission, the Office of Risk Management for the State of Louisiana, and the Department of Revenue for the State of Louisiana.

Mr. Miniex has special training and experience in utility related matters. The Louisiana Public Service Commission has employed our firm since 1991 as
outside counsel on specific utility related issues. He successfully participated in the 36th Annual National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners' Study Program held at the University of Michigan from July 31, 1994 through August 5, 1994. This course entailed a variety of utility related issues. He also attends the Louisiana Public Service Commission open meetings on a continuous basis. As a Certified Public Accountant Rickey is in a unique position to analyze complex utility related issues.

Please call our office at (337) 269-0222 to make an appointment.

RICKEY WAYNE MINIEX, CPA, ATTORNEY AT LAW
Office (337) 269-0222

COLLEGE MAJORS:

Accounting, Finance and Law

EDUCATION:

Juris Doctorate from the Southern University Law Center, May, 1986;
grade point average 3.49 on a 4.00 scale. Ranked second (2nd) in a class of
117 students.

Louisiana State University Law Center, Baton Rouge, Fall Semester, 1985.

B.S. in Business Administration with a major in Accounting awarded by
the University of Southwestern Louisiana, December, 1981; grade point
average 3.225 on a 4.00 scale.

B. S. in Business Administration with a major in Finance awarded by
the University of Southwestern Louisiana, May, 1981; grade point
average 3.227 on a 4.00 scale.

HONORS AND ACHIEVEMENTS:

Member, Southern University Law Review; Managing Editor
Member, Southern University Moot Court Board, admitted Fall, 1984,
Best Team Oral Argument Award
Awarded Best Team in the Trial Advocacy and Trial Notebook Competition,
Spring, 1985
Delta Theta Phi Law Fraternity
The National Dean's List 1983-1984 and 1984-1985
Who's Who Among American Law Students, Fall, 1984
Member, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
Member, Louisiana Society of Certified Public Accountants
Member, Louisiana State Bar Association
Member, American Bar Association
Member, Texas Bar Association
Member, The Million Dollar Advocates Forum, “Top Trial Lawyers in America”

WORK EXPERIENCE:

July, 1987 to Present - Partner in the firm of Simien & Miniex.
Engaged in the General Practice of Law. Our practice includes Personal Injury, Business Litigation, Energy Law and Governmental Law

1987-1989 Assistant Adjunct Professor of Paralegal Studies,
College of General Studies, University of Southwestern
Louisiana.

1986 Judicial Law Clerk for the 15th Judicial District, Honorable G. Bradford Ware, Judge. Duties included writing judicial memorandums of cases taken under advisement, research projects and other assignments by Judge Ware.

Law Clerk for the United States Middle District of Louisiana, Honorable Stanford O. Bardwell, United States Attorney. (January, 1986 - May, 1986)

1985 Law Clerk with L.D. Sledge, Attorney at Law.
Responsibilities included legal research, analyzation of legal problems, and preparation of pleadings.
(May, 1984 - December, 1985)

1981 - 1983 A certified public accountant with the Certified
Public Accounting firm of Broadhurst, Sikes and Gardes, working in the areas of audit, tax and management advisory services. Mr. Miniex became licensed in 1983 and played a major role in several significant audits.

Major proceedings before the Louisiana Public Service

a) Docket No. - U-19997, In Re investigation into the Purchase Gas Adjustment Calculation filed by Trans-Louisiana Gas Company and Louisiana Intrastate Gas Company. This case involved allegations by ratepayers against several regulated utilities for including improper cost in their WACOG and PGA.

b) The Daily Advertiser, et al vs. Trans-LA, et al; 612 So.2d 7 (La.
1993). This matter involved an action before the 15th Judicial District Court. This matter went to the Third Circuit Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Louisiana. The matter stems from allegations that Louisiana Intrastate Gas (LIG), Trans-Louisiana Gas (Trans-La) Gas and several of its affiliates improperly included certain costs in its WACOG and PGA. The ratepayers instituted a class action suit against the utility companies. The issues involved included whether the matter should be resolved by the Courts or the Commission. Ultimately, the Louisiana Supreme Court ruled that the matter as it relates to rates and overcharges should be before the Commission.

c) Docket No. - 393943 D, Southwest Louisiana Electric Membership
Corporation vs. Louisiana Public Service Commission. This matter was an appeal of Docket No. U 19755 whereby SLEMCO objected to the Commission's decision not to increase rates. Said appeal was resolved in favor of the Commission.

d) Docket No. U-19755 Southwest Louisiana Electric Membership Cooperative in Re: Proposed Revision of Electric Rates and Charges within Acadia, Lafayette, St. Landry, St. Martin, Vermillion, Avoyelles, Evangeline, Iberia and Jefferson Davis Parishes, Louisiana. This matter involved a full rate analysis of SLEMCO's cost of service and income requirements. Major issues also included what was a prudent capital structure for SLEMCO, how to handle patronage capital credits and determining a proper test year.

e) Undocketed matter, Southwest Louisiana Electric Membership Corporation (SLEMCO) Request to draw down on AM-7 Loan Funds.

f) Docket No. U-21496, In re: Rate investigation of Central Louisiana Electric Company, Inc. This matter involved a full rate analysis of the cost of service of CLECO.

g) FERC Docket No. A96-15-000. CLECO's open access filing at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. This case involved a review of CLECO's open access filing with the FERC and filing Data Requests in the proceeding and attending all hearings to prevent any adverse effects on Louisiana rate payers from said proceeding.

h) Docket No. U-23812 - Louisiana Public Service Commission, ex parte. In re: An investigation into the allegations filed by the plaintiffs against the defendants in Case No. 532-058 in the 24th Judicial District Court. (The Rhodes Company, Inc., et al versus Citizens Utilities Company) ("Citizens"), LGS Natural Gas Company ("LGS Natural"), LGS Intrastate, Inc. ("LGSI"), and Louisiana Gas Service Company ("LGS"). This matter was a full investigation of Louisiana Gas Service and its affiliates cost of gas for 1981 to 1999. This case resulted in refunds of over $27,500,000.00.

i) Rhodes Company, Inc., et al versus Citizens Utilities Company, et al, Docket No. 532-058, 24th JDC, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. This matter involved an action before the 20th Judicial District Court which stems from allegations that LIG and several of its affiliates improperly included certain costs in its charges.

j) Docket No. U-25117 - Louisiana Public Service Commission, ex parte. In re:
Commission Audit of Purchased Gas Adjustment Filings of Louisiana Gas Service Company. This matter involved a complete examination of Louisiana Gas Service's Purchase Gas Adjustment filings pursuant to the Commission General Order U-22407, Docket No. U-26721.

k) Louisiana Public Service Commission, ex parte. In re: Commission Audit of
Purchased Gas Adjustment Filings of Reliant Energy Entex pursuant to Commission General Order dated March 24, 1999. This matter involved a complete examination of Louisiana Gas Service's Purchase Gas Adjustment filings pursuant to the Commission General Order U-22407, Docket No. U-26721.

J) Louisiana Public Service Commission, ex parte. In re: Investigation into the Electricity Trading, Affiliate Transactions and Fuel Adjustment Clause Practices of Cleco Power, LLC and its Affiliates pursuant to Commission General Order Dated October 25, 1993. Docket No. U-26994. This matter involved a complete examination of Cleco Fuel Adjustment Clause filing and also a review of its affiliate transactions and trading practices.

Other major representations:

a) Outside counsel for the University of Southwestern Louisiana whereby Mr. Miniex is lead counsel in suits brought against the University.

b) Outside counsel for the City of Lafayette whereby Mr. Miniex is lead counsel in suits brought against the city.

c) The Lafayette Parish Teachers and Federal Credit Union whereby Mr. Miniex represents the credit union in matters pursued by the credit union and matters in which suits are brought against the
credit union.

d) Outside counsel for the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development.

e) Mr. Miniex was lead counsel for Mainstream Services, Inc., a case management provider for the seriously mentally ill.

Special Training in Utility Law

Mr. Miniex has special training and experience in utility related matters. The Louisiana Public Service Commission has employed our firm since 1991 as outside counsel on specific utility related issues.

Mr. Miniex has also successfully participated in the 36th Annual National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners' Study Program held at the University of Michigan from July 31, 1994, through August 5, 1994. This course entailed a variety of utility related issues. Mr. Miniex also attends the Louisiana Public Service Commission open meetings on a continuous basis. As a Certified Public Accountant Rickey is in a unique position to analyze complex utility related issues.

Mr. Miniex is a Licensed Louisiana Certified Public Accountant from January 1981 to present which includes 40 hours per year of Continuing Professional Education.

Visiting Professor of Paralegal Studies, 1987-1989
University of Southwestern Louisiana
Lafayette, Louisiana
Subjects: Administrative Law
Introduction to Paralegal Studies

Admissions

Supreme Court of Louisiana
All Courts of Appeal and District Courts of the State of Louisiana
United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana
All Courts of Appeal and District Courts of the State of Texas

Member

American Bar Association
Louisiana State Bar Association
Lafayette Bar Association
Louisiana Trial Law
Texas Bar Association

Publications

Pension Planning and the Effect of the Multi-Employer Pension Plan Amendment Act on Withdrawal Liabilities, 11 Southern University Law Review 73, (1985).

Lectures

Intro to Basic Accounting, October 3 - 26, 1988, sponsored by the University of
Southwestern Louisiana's Business and Industry Training Service.

 

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