Craig advises clients on complex regulatory compliance issues not only in the energy and natural resources sector, but in other industry sectors as well. He defends corporate and individual clients in environmental and natural resources litigation arising under both civil and criminal laws. Craig has handled more than 50 litigation matters to judgment and uses his skills as a former Senior Trial Attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in Washington, D.C., to litigate and settle enforcement actions and other civil and criminal litigation. Craig is the Distinguished Practitioner in Residence at Brigham Young University Law School where he teaches environmental law, public lands and natural resources law, international environmental law, and energy law. He is widely published on environmental compliance and ethics issues.
Environmental and Natural Resources Litigation. Craig has defended companies in the mining, energy, transportation, defense contractor, land development, and manufacturing industry sectors in a variety of environmental enforcement actions, citizen suits, and cost recovery actions in state and federal court and before administrative agencies in Utah, Nevada, Idaho, Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, Washington, and other states. Craig cut his teeth in environmental litigation as a young DOJ trial lawyer litigating the nine-month Love Canal trial in Buffalo, New York.
Government and Internal Investigations. Craig has led internal investigations and defended companies subject to high-profile civil and criminal government investigations. Many of these cases involved sensitive whistleblower allegations.
Complex Compliance, Permitting and Due Diligence Matters. Craig represents clients on complex permitting and compliance matters under the Clean Water Act, RCRA, CERCLA, and NEPA, and assists with environmental due diligence involving mining, renewable energy, electric transmission, carbon sequestration projects. He also routinely advises corporate clients on enhancing compliance programs, developing compliance procedures, and training programs, and and implementing ESG (environmental, social, and governance) reporting procedures.
International Legal Matters. With assistance from local foreign counsel, Craig has advised on natural resources project development and compliance matters for multinational mining and manufacturing clients in Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Brazil. While on assignment for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, he also handled a wide variety of legal compliance and transactional matters in Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Chile. Craig speaks fluent Spanish.