Christopher Jones

Practice Areas

Environment Law

Environmental Litigation and Enforcement

Government Relations and Legislation

Compliance/Regulatory Services

Public Law

White-Collar Defense and Investigations

Energy and Utilities Law

State and Government Relations and Policy

Career

Chris Jones provides firm clients with a seasoned perspective on environmental and regulatory issues, as well as a unique understanding of state and federal environmental regulatory agencies. Chris has more than 30 years of experience in the environmental field, including six years as Director of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and four years as Chief of the Ohio Attorney General’s Environmental Enforcement Section.

While Director of Ohio EPA, Chris was a two-term elected president of the Environmental Council of the States (ECOS), a national organization of all of the directors of state environmental agencies. In this role, he served as the primary liaison between states and the U.S. EPA.

This experience gives Chris a unique understanding of both state and federal environmental regulatory agencies and allows him to provide firm clients with a seasoned perspective on environmental and regulatory matters as well as government relations issues.

Chris has represented businesses and individuals in enforcement proceeding by both U.S. EPA and Ohio EPA. He has counseled clients on regulatory compliance issues related to the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act and both hazardous and solid waste issues under RCRA, and he has counseled clients on brownfield redevelopment projects. He has served as an expert witness in a number of cases, including for a brownfield developer in a dispute over a multi-million-dollar redevelopment.

Chris is former board chair and member of the Greater Ohio Policy Center and is the former chair of the board of trustees of the Nature Conservancy, Ohio Chapter.

In the past Chris has served as chairman of the Lake Erie Commission, as a governor-appointed member of the Great Lakes Commission, as a member of the Ohio Air Quality Development Authority, the Ohio Water Development Authority and the State Power Siting Board. Chris was an original member of the Clean Ohio Council.

Chris is also a member of the Ohio and Columbus Bar Associations.

Professional Memberships

Greater Ohio Policy Center, Former Board Chair and Member

Environmental Research Institute of the States (ERIS), Senior Member of the Board of Directors

Ohio State Bar Association, Member

Columbus Bar Association, Member

Nature Conservancy, Ohio Chapter, Former Chair of the Board of Trustees

Lake Erie Commission, Past Chairman

Great Lakes Commission, Former Governor-Appointed Member

Ohio Air Quality Development Authority, Former Member

Ohio Water Development Authority, Former Member

State Power Siting Board, Former Member

Clean Ohio Council, Former Original Member

Expert in these Jurisdictions

Ohio

Education