Christopher J. "Chris" Carr

Chris Carr is widely regarded as one of the leading project development, environmental, and energy lawyers in the United States. Drawing on his experience with the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of State, Mr. Carr represents businesses, land developers, public agencies, and nonprofits in all areas of environmental and natural resource law, including energy, transportation, water, forestry, mining, coastal and marine resources, and agriculture.

In particular, his practice focuses on permitting and litigation under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA), the Clean Water Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), as well as their California counterparts: the California ESA, the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act, and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

He is experienced in local, state, federal, and international laws, regulations, initiatives, and programs promoting the development of renewable energy and infrastructure.

Mr. Carr frequently defends permits, approvals, and environmental review documents for utility-scale renewable energy and other infrastructure projects in federal and state courts, and defends against “citizen suits” brought under federal environmental statutes.

Mr. Carr is Chair of the Paul Hastings Environment and Energy Practice. He was head of Morrison and Foerster’s Global Energy & Environment Practice and co-chair of its Cleantech Practice Group from 2010 – 2017. He also co-chaired its Autonomous Vehicle and Drone Practice group from 2015 – 2017. He is a regular speaker at Berkeley Law and Stanford Law School.

Among his representative clients, he counts: Vistra Corp., Terra-Gen Power, 8minute Solar Energy, Brookfield Power, EDF Renewables, Genentech, West Basin Municipal Water District, Green Diamond Resource Company, The Wine Group, Jackson Family Wines, and Structurlam Mass Timber Corp.