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Arata E. Kaku-McGowan

Associate

Arata E. Kaku-McGowan

Associate

[email protected]

Madison 608.258.4353

Practice Areas

Education

Yale Law School (J.D., 2023)
- Lead Editor, Yale Journal on Regulation
Bowling Green State University (B.M., magna cum laude, 2017)
- Piano Performance

Admissions

Wisconsin
Eastern District of Wisconsin

Arata Kaku-McGowan is an associate in the Commercial Litigation Practice Group, where he has helped handle complex cases ranging from antitrust and consumer class actions to FCRA cases, contract disputes, and insurance and reinsurance cases. As a secondary member of the Environmental Group, Arata also has assisted clients with a breadth of environmental issues from cradle to grave: analyzing emissions compliance issues for product development; supporting permit application for energy projects; contending against unrelenting national environmental NGOs in administrative proceedings related to factories, solar and natural gas power plants, and pipeline infrastructure; defending Environmental Assessments and Environmental Impact Statements; and litigating RCRA and CERCLA issues.

Close-up view of the United States Capitol dome and the decorative façade of its adjacent building, echoing the prestige found in a top corporate law office, with columns and sculpted figures set against a blue sky.

July 28, 2026 Energy Current

DOE Withdraws Direct Final Rule on Zero-Based Regulating, Will Proceed Through Standard Notice-and-Comment Rulemaking

On July 9, 2026, the Department of Energy (DOE) withdrew its direct final rule that would have implemented, starting July 13, 2026, “zero-based regulating” sunset provisions across a range of DOE regulations.

July 6, 2026 Foley Viewpoints

Oregon EPR Producers May Have an Off-Ramp From Paying CAA, At Least Temporarily

Thousands of producers currently writing checks to Circular Action Alliance (CAA) under Oregon's Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)...

Wind turbines at sunset symbolizing renewable energy and sustainability.

June 30, 2026 Energy Current

FERC Issues Six Tailored “Show Cause” Orders to Accelerate Large Load Interconnection

On June 18, 2026, against the backdrop of skyrocketing growth in demand for electricity, due in part to the rapid proliferation of data centers, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or the Commission) issued six “show cause” orders under Section 206 of the Federal Power Act (FPA), directing each of the six Regional Transmission Organizations (RTOs) and Independent System Operators (ISOs) under its jurisdiction, and the transmission owners within them, to justify or reform their rules governing how data centers, manufacturing facilities, and other large energy users connect to the electric grid.

A worker in a safety vest and helmet stands in front of stacked orange, green, and blue shipping containers, holding a clipboard—much like chicago lawyers overseeing sensitive cargo for law offices specializing in intellectual property law.

June 26, 2026 Foley Viewpoints

17 States Challenge California Packaging Law With National Supply Chain Stakes

On June 22, 2026, 17 states, led by Nebraska, along with the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW), sued California regulators and the Circular Action Alliance (CAA) in federal court, seeking to invalidate the state’s landmark packaging law, SB 54 (“SB 54” or “the Act”). The lawsuit, Nebraska v. Heller, is the first coordinated, multistate attack on the broader “extended producer responsibility” (EPR) model gaining traction for packaging regulation across the United States.

Electricity transmission towers in rural open field view.

April 23, 2026 Energy Current

Defense Production Act Determinations Could Reshape Domestic Energy and Infrastructure Strategy

On April 20, 2026, the White House issued several presidential determinations under Section 303 of the Defense Production Act (DPA) aimed...

April 22, 2026 Energy Current

EPA’s Revised National Enforcement and Compliance Initiatives: One Year Later

On March 12, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) issued a...

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