Costa Mesa-based Commerce Energy Group Inc. named Steven S. Boss chief executive on Tuesday.
Boss replaces interim chief Peter Weigand, the company’s president. Weigand and Richard L. Boughrum, Commerce Energy’s chief financial officer, were fired “without cause.”
Commerce Energy, which provides electricity and natural gas, named Lawrence Clayton Jr. as interim chief financial officer. Clayton Jr. was a consultant with the company.
Boss has been practicing law in the past two years. He represented several energy-related companies in his practice.
He was president of consulting firm Energy Buyers Network LLC for three years prior to his legal stint. He’s the former chief executive of Sunrise Energy Services Inc.
Boss has a bachelor’s of science degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas and a law degree from the University of Southern California.
Last fall Weigand stepped in as Commerce Energy’s chief executive. At the time, the company had put then-chief executive Ian Carter on adminstrative leave.
The move came after Commerce Energy’s audit committee claimed that a consulting contract with an investment advisory firm founded by David Barnes didn’t reflect the services provided to the company.
Barnes later became Commerce Energy’s vice president of finance and investor relations. He resigned in the fall.
Carter and the company settled the dispute earlier this year. The settlement called for Commerce Energy to pay Carter $3 million plus two months of health insurance.
Carter also kept his option to buy 2.5 million shares of the company’s common stock at $2.50 per share.
Shares of the company rose 4 cents to $1.54 on Tuesday.
