Atty. 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.
Profile Summary
About Christopher J. "Chris" Carr at a glance
Christopher J. "Chris" Carr is a zoning, litigation, and environmental attorney based in San Francisco, California, practicing at Paul Hastings LLP. Admitted to practice in California, The State Bar of California. Educated at University of California Berkeley (J.D., 1994). Recognitions include Best Lawyers in America — Environmental Law (2026), Best Lawyers in America — Litigation - Environmental (2026), and Best Lawyers in America — Litigation - Land Use and Zoning (2026). Serands clients in San Francisco, CA and the surrounding metropolitan area.
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About
- 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
Practice Areas Explained
Christopher J. "Chris" Carr's Areas of Practice
Each practice area below reflects the types of cases Christopher J. "Chris" Carr handles, with a brief overview of what that area of law covers.
Christopher J. "Chris" Carr is one of 40,226 zoning attorneys indexed nationally. Browse zoning attorneys in California →
Civil litigation attorneys for breach of contract, business disputes, civil rights, and class action lawsuits.
Christopher J. "Chris" Carr is one of 454,532 litigation attorneys indexed nationally. Browse litigation attorneys in California →
Environmental attorneys for regulatory compliance, contamination, land use, and natural resource law.
Christopher J. "Chris" Carr is one of 56,434 environmental attorneys indexed nationally. Browse environmental attorneys in California →
Jurisdictional Context
Why local counsel matters in California
Practicing law in California. Legal matters in California are governed by state-specific rules of civil and criminal procedure, statutes of limitations, and substantive law. Cases originating in San Francisco are typically filed in the local municipal court or the appropriate California state district court, depending on subject matter and amount in controversy. An attorney licensed in California brings working knowledge of local procedural deadlines, judicial practices in this andnue, and the substantive law that applies to cases brought here. Out-of-state attorneys generally cannot represent clients in California courts without local counsel or pro hac vice admission.
Looking for additional California attorneys? Browse all attorneys in San Francisco or all attorneys in California.
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