Christopher Richards

Chris is a partner in Taft’s Environmental and Real Estate practice groups. He concentrates on helping clients proactively resolve complicated environmental problems, navigate private infrastructure and utility compliance issues, and strategically navigate regulatory enforcement actions. Chris has successfully resolved legal complications with numerous regulatory agencies, including the EPA, OSHA, USACE, USNRC, EGLE, MIOSHA, and various State agencies throughout the United States.

In addition to environmental law, Chris has broad experience counseling and advising commercial clients throughout the entire real property acquisition process, from initial identification of a real estate need to closing.

Before joining the firm, Chris worked extensively with the Big 3 as in-house counsel at a major automotive supplier where he provided representation focused primarily on transactional real estate, environmental compliance, industrial health and safety, green technology implementation, contract review, and construction dispute resolution.

Chris served in the U.S. Marine Corps at Selfridge ANGB, Michigan from 2007-2013 as an Operations and Intelligence (S-3) Clerk/Communications Liaison at the Headquarters and Support Company for the 1st Battalion 24th Marines.

• Publication, International Water Rights: A Tale of Two Rivers, Journal of Animal and Natural Resource Law, Volume XII, 2016