News from the Oklahoma Corporation Commission

OKLAHOMA CITY – Robert D. (Bob) Allen, former Oklahoma City municipal counselor and deputy state insurance commissioner, will join the Oklahoma Corporation Commission as a public utility attorney on Jan. 18, Bill Burkett, general counsel, announced.

Allen has practiced law in state and city government, private industry and private practice since 1955. He has more than 25 years experience in telecommunications law and regulation.

"Bob’s experience during this period of transition for the telecommunications industry will be a great asset to the Corporation Commission in developing new forms of regulation for the new century," Burkett said.

Allen served as deputy insurance commissioner and general counsel for the Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner from 1958 through 1963. He was as an attorney for Southwestern Bell and vice president and general counsel for Illinois Bell Telephone from 1963 until 1983 when those companies were subsidiaries of AT&T.

Allen returned to Oklahoma and has been in private law practice in Oklahoma City since 1983, when AT&T was separated from the Bell operating companies. He has represented AT&T as its local regulatory counsel. He also served as Oklahoma City’s chief legal officer and supervisor of the law department from 1984 until 1989.

Allen received a bachelor’s degree in government and economics from the University of Oklahoma in 1951 and a degree in law from the OU law school in 1955.

-occ-