Christopher Norton is a partner in the Latham & Watkins Environment, Land & Resources Practice. He focuses his practice on environmental and energy, land use and climate change. Christopher formerly served as the Global Co-Chair of the Environmental Regulations & Transactions Practice. His experience includes matters involving the Clean Air Act and its state and local counterparts, and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) environmental liabilities related to real estate and business transactions, complicated mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, private and government-lead contaminated property litigation, advocacy of environmental policy and the siting of new power plants.
Christopher has broad experience in siting energy projects as well as considerable experience in matters related to the Warren-Alquist Act and the procedures of the California Energy Commission. He also handles administrative, civil and criminal enforcement matters at local, state and federal levels.
Christopher co-authored Chapter II: Air Pollution Control in the Eleventh Edition of the California Environmental Law Handbook. Prior to beginning the practice of law, Christopher served as the Environmental Affairs Manager and Legislative Affairs Manager for the Southern California Gas Company. He also served as a Projects Manager, Air Quality Engineer and Water Systems Engineer. Christopher is the former chair of the California Manufacturers and Technology Association's Southern California Air Quality Alliance. As a leader of this industry coalition, he developed and advocated public policy related to environmental rules and regulations, and participated in the drafting and passage of state environmental legislation.
Christopher's experience includes representing:
Firm commended for its notable transactional work in infrastructure, energy development, and finance.