Christopher P. Davis
Areas of Practice
Chris Davis is a partner in and former chair (1996-2000) of the firm’s Environmental/Energy Practice. Mr. Davis has 25 years of experience in environmental law. He provides strategic advice to clients on a broad range of environmental issues, including federal and state Superfund and site remediation matters, brownfields redevelopment, environmental aspects of transactions, compliance and enforcement matters, climate change, clean technology investments, environmental disclosure, environmental litigation and dispute resolution. Mr. Davis is also a member of the firm’s Private Equity practice.
Work for Clients
Mr. Davis has represented potentially responsible parties at more than 50 federal and state Superfund sites throughout the northeastern United States. He served as trial counsel in the first governmental and private Superfund trials and has litigated a number of prominent CERCLA cases. Mr. Davis has also negotiated settlements of numerous federal and state Superfund cases and participated in several successful mediations of complex, multiparty environmental disputes. He has extensive experience in matters involving Massachusetts Chapter 21E and the Massachusetts Contingency Plan (MCP) and regarding contaminated property generally, including site cleanup, brownfields redevelopment, and related corporate and real estate transactions. Mr. Davis has also represented clients in a variety of federal and state enforcement proceedings under RCRA, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act and related state statutes; litigated a number of toxic tort and insurance coverage cases; and advises clients on environmental compliance, liability, risk management and transactional issues. He has been responsible for environmental due diligence and contractual allocation of environmental liabilities in numerous transactions involving properties and facilities throughout the United States and overseas. Recently, Mr. Davis has advised clients on emerging issues relating to greenhouse gas (GHG) management, climate change, sustainable development, clean technology and environmental disclosure....more » Mr. Davis has represented potentially responsible parties at more than 50 federal and state Superfund sites throughout the northeastern United States. He served as trial counsel in the first governmental and private Superfund trials and has litigated a number of prominent CERCLA cases. Mr. Davis has also negotiated settlements of numerous federal and state Superfund cases and participated in several successful mediations of complex, multiparty environmental disputes. He has extensive experience in matters involving Massachusetts Chapter 21E and the Massachusetts Contingency Plan (MCP) and regarding contaminated property generally, including site cleanup, brownfields redevelopment, and related corporate and real estate transactions. Mr. Davis has also represented clients in a variety of federal and state enforcement proceedings under RCRA, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act and related state statutes; litigated a number of toxic tort and insurance coverage cases; and advises clients on environmental compliance, liability, risk management and transactional issues. He has been responsible for environmental due diligence and contractual allocation of environmental liabilities in numerous transactions involving properties and facilities throughout the United States and overseas. Recently, Mr. Davis has advised clients on emerging issues relating to greenhouse gas (GHG) management, climate change, sustainable development, clean technology and environmental disclosure. He co-chairs the firm’s Clean Tech Practice Group. less »
Professional Activities
Mr. Davis has held a number of leadership positions within the Environment, Energy and Resources Section of the American Bar Association. He currently serves as Education Officer, was a member of the Section’s Council and chaired the 2003 Keystone Conference on Environmental Law. Mr. Davis is a member of the Massachusetts DEP’s Waste Site Cleanup Advisory Committee and is on the Board of Advisors of the Toxics Law Reporter. He served as a member of the Council of the Boston Bar Association and chaired the BBA’s Hazardous Waste Committee. Mr. Davis serves on the firm’s Pro Bono Committee. He has done extensive pro bono work, including representation of the Trust for Public Land in conservation matters, citizens affected by pollution problems, a coalition seeking a legislative solution to home heating oil releases and low income individuals facing legal challenges. Mr. Davis has been selected for inclusion in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, The Best Lawyers in America, International Who’s Who of Environmental Lawyers, Who’s Who Legal, Who’s Who in American Law and Massachusetts Super Lawyers.
Publications/Presentations
Mr. Davis’ most recent articles are “Climate Change Strategies for the Financial Services Industry – co-authored with Aladdine Joroff and Carrie Jenks (Client Advisory, January 2007); “Sustainability Develops Within U.S. Companies…Gradually,” – co-authored with Aladdine Joroff and William Thomas (Corporate Environmental Strategy, Spring 2005); and “Greenhouse Profits: Time to Get Ahead of the Curve on GHGs” – co-authored with Aladdine Joroff (Executive Counsel, Fall 2004). Mr. Davis speaks and writes frequently on environmental law topics. He served as co-author and editor of a leading treatise, The Law of Hazardous Waste, published by Matthew Bender & Co., and as general editor of The Massachusetts Environmental Law Handbook, published by ABS/Government Institutes, and has published several articles on Superfund, climate change and sustainable development issues. In addition, Mr. Davis was an editor of the Harvard Law Review.
Professional Experience
Mr. Davis served as law clerk to the Honorable Robert E. Keeton of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. Prior to law school, he worked as an environmental engineer.
Bar and Court Admissions
Mr. Davis is admitted to practice in Massachusetts, and before the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit and the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire.
Education
J.D., Harvard Law School, 1980 (magna cum laude)
A.B, Dartmouth College, 1976 (summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa)
|