Attorney General, State of Georgia
Christopher M. Carr was appointed by Governor Nathan Deal and sworn into office as Georgia's 54th Attorney General on November 1, 2016. On November 6, 2018, Carr was elected by the people of Georgia to serve a full four-year term.
As Attorney General, Carr believes he has no more solemn duty than to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, the Constitution and laws of the State of Georgia and the interests of the people of the State of Georgia. He also believes that his office must play a significant role in protecting Georgians. Since taking office in 2016, Carr has made it a priority to combat opioid misuse, gang violence, human trafficking, elder abuse and consumer fraud. He established and leads the Statewide Opioid Task Force – which now has more than 400 members – and the Georgia Anti-Gang Network – which is focused on strengthening multi-jurisdictional investigations and prosecutions. To help prevent our older, at-risk adults from falling victim to scams, Carr created the Georgia Consumer Protection Guide for Older Adults, and he works every day to make sure older, at-risk adults and all consumers are protected from exploitation in any form. Carr is also a champion for the state’s Sunshine Laws, working each day to ensure that government operates openly and transparently. In 2019, he announced the creation of the state's first-ever Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit at the Department of Law. Under his leadership, the unit will work with statewide partners to aggressively combat buyers and traffickers.
Carr appoints all members of the Georgia Consumer Advisory Board and is a member of the Georgia Board of Homeland Security. He served on Georgia’s Judicial Nominating Commission, the body charged with recommending candidates to the Governor to fill judicial vacancies, from 2011 through 2018, and the Executive Committee for the Georgia Older Adults Cabinet from 2016 - 2018. A dedicated member of the National Association of Attorneys General, Carr currently serves on the Human Trafficking, Substance Abuse and Presidential Initiative Committees (focused on elder abuse in 2017-18 and natural disasters in 2018-19) where he collaborates with his colleagues to shape the association's policies in these respective areas.
Carr previously served as Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) under Governor Deal from November 2013 to November 2016. As Commissioner, Carr led the state agency responsible for creating jobs and investment in Georgia through business recruitment, retention and expansion, international trade and tourism, as well as the arts, film and music industries. During Carr's three-year tenure at GDEcD, the state of Georgia was recognized as the top state in the nation in which to do business for three consecutive years. In addition, GDEcD helped facilitate 1,069 projects across the state that represent approximately $14.4 billion in investment and the creation of more than 84,000 jobs. In 2015, GDEcD was recognized as the top economic development agency in the country.
Prior to joining GDEcD, Carr was Chief of Staff for U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson for six years. During his time in Washington, Carr advised the Senator on federal legislation, numerous judicial nominees for the U.S. Supreme Court and lower federal courts in Georgia and across the country.
Carr began his career with Georgia Pacific, then practiced law with Alston & Bird LLP in Atlanta and later served as Vice President and General Counsel for the Georgia Public Policy Foundation.
A graduate from the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business and Lumpkin School of Law, Carr is admitted to practice law in Georgia.
Attorney General, State of Georgia
Christopher M. Carr was appointed by Governor Nathan Deal and sworn into office as Georgia's 54th Attorney General on November 1, 2016. On November 6, 2018, Carr was elected by the people of Georgia to serve a full four-year term.
As Attorney General, Carr believes he has no more solemn duty than to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, the Constitution and laws of the State of Georgia and the interests of the people of the State of Georgia. He also believes that his office must play a significant role in protecting Georgians. Since taking office in 2016, Carr has made it a priority to combat opioid misuse, gang violence, human trafficking, elder abuse and consumer fraud. He established and leads the Statewide Opioid Task Force – which now has more than 400 members – and the Georgia Anti-Gang Network – which is focused on strengthening multi-jurisdictional investigations and prosecutions. To help prevent our older, at-risk adults from falling victim to scams, Carr created the Georgia Consumer Protection Guide for Older Adults, and he works every day to make sure older, at-risk adults and all consumers are protected from exploitation in any form. Carr is also a champion for the state’s Sunshine Laws, working each day to ensure that government operates openly and transparently. In 2019, he announced the creation of the state's first-ever Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit at the Department of Law. Under his leadership, the unit will work with statewide partners to aggressively combat buyers and traffickers.
Carr appoints all members of the Georgia Consumer Advisory Board and is a member of the Georgia Board of Homeland Security. He served on Georgia’s Judicial Nominating Commission, the body charged with recommending candidates to the Governor to fill judicial vacancies, from 2011 through 2018, and the Executive Committee for the Georgia Older Adults Cabinet from 2016 - 2018. A dedicated member of the National Association of Attorneys General, Carr currently serves on the Human Trafficking, Substance Abuse and Presidential Initiative Committees (focused on elder abuse in 2017-18 and natural disasters in 2018-19) where he collaborates with his colleagues to shape the association's policies in these respective areas.
Carr previously served as Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) under Governor Deal from November 2013 to November 2016. As Commissioner, Carr led the state agency responsible for creating jobs and investment in Georgia through business recruitment, retention and expansion, international trade and tourism, as well as the arts, film and music industries. During Carr's three-year tenure at GDEcD, the state of Georgia was recognized as the top state in the nation in which to do business for three consecutive years. In addition, GDEcD helped facilitate 1,069 projects across the state that represent approximately $14.4 billion in investment and the creation of more than 84,000 jobs. In 2015, GDEcD was recognized as the top economic development agency in the country.
Prior to joining GDEcD, Carr was Chief of Staff for U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson for six years. During his time in Washington, Carr advised the Senator on federal legislation, numerous judicial nominees for the U.S. Supreme Court and lower federal courts in Georgia and across the country.
Carr began his career with Georgia Pacific, then practiced law with Alston & Bird LLP in Atlanta and later served as Vice President and General Counsel for the Georgia Public Policy Foundation.
A graduate from the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business and Lumpkin School of Law, Carr is admitted to practice law in Georgia.
Partner, Paul Hastings
Chris Carr is a partner in the San Francisco office of Paul Hastings LLP and chairs the firm’s Environment and Energy Practice Group. He is widely regarded as one of the leading infrastructure development, environmental, and energy lawyers in the United States. Drawing on his experience with the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of State, Mr. Carr represents businesses, landowners, public agencies, and nonprofits in all areas of environmental and natural resources law, including energy and infrastructure, water, forestry, agriculture, mining, and coastal and marine resources.
In particular, his practice focuses on permitting and litigation under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA), the Clean Water Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and their California counterparts: the California ESA, the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act, and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). He has deep expertise and broad experience in local, state, federal, and international laws, regulations, initiatives, and programs addressing climate change and driving the energy transition.
Mr. Carr frequently defends permits, approvals, and environmental review documents for energy and other infrastructure projects in federal and state courts, and defends against “citizen suits” brought under federal and state environmental statutes for all manner of land and resources development.
Mr. Carr was Chair of Morrison and Foerster’s Global Energy & Environment Practice and Co-chair of its Cleantech Practice Group from 2010 – 2017. He is a regular speaker at Berkeley Law and Stanford Law School. Mr. Carr received his J.D. and Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.
He has published widely in the area of environmental regulation, and is frequently interviewed by the broadcast and print media for his views, including:
United States Attorney, Eastern District of California
Mr. Grant was appointed by Attorney General Pam Bondi to serve as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of California beginning on August 11, 2025. Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 546(d), he was further appointed by the district court effective December 9, 2025.
Mr. Grant is a veteran of the Department of Justice, having served twice in Washington, D.C.: from 1991 to 1993 as an Attorney-Adviser in the Office of Legal Counsel, and from 2017 to 2021 as a Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). During his tenure at ENRD, he supervised more than a hundred Department litigators advancing the interests of the United States and its agencies in both enforcement and defensive matters, both civil and criminal.
In addition to his service in the Department, Mr. Grant has decades of experience in private practice in Washington, D.C. and Sacramento. That experience includes arguments in the U.S. Supreme Court, the California Supreme Court, and numerous other federal and state courts.
Mr. Grant served as a law clerk to Chief Justice Warren E. Burger (retired) and Associate Justice Clarence Thomas during the Supreme Court’s October 1994 Term. Earlier he served as a law clerk to Judge Edith H. Jones of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in Houston, Texas.
Mr. Grant grew up in Modesto, California and raised his family in Sacramento County. He attended the University of California, Berkeley, from which he earned a bachelor’s degree in economics (1986) and a law degree (1990).
Partner, Holland & Knight
Jennifer Hernandez has practiced land use and environmental law for more than 30 years, and leads Holland & Knight's West Coast Land Use and Environmental Group. Ms. Hernandez divides her time between the firm's San Francisco and Los Angeles offices.
Ms. Hernandez is the only California lawyer ranked by her clients and peers in Chambers USA in the top tier of both land use/zoning and environmental lawyers. In addition, she was recognized as the top environmental litigator of the year in the San Francisco Bay Area by Best Lawyers, and received a California Lawyer of the Year award from the State Bar of California for her work on California's largest and most innovative land use and conservation agreement between her private landowner client and five major environmental organizations, including the Sierra Club and Natural Resources Defense Council. She also has received numerous civil rights awards for her work on overcoming environmentalist opposition to housing and other projects needed and supported by minority communities.
During his tenure as mayor of San Francisco, Willie Brown named October 9, 2002, as "Jennifer Hernandez Day" in San Francisco in honor of her work as a "warrior on the Brownfields" to restore and redevelop former industrial lands. Ms. Hernandez is the longest-serving minority board member (23 years) of the California League of Conservation voters, was appointed by President Clinton to serve as a trustee for the Presidio National Park in San Francisco, and serves on the board of directors for California Forward and Sustainable Conservation.
Ms. Hernandez works for private sector, public agency and nonprofit clients on a broad range of projects in Bay Area, Southern California and Central Valley communities, including infill and master-planned mixed-use housing and commercial projects, university and research facilities, transportation and infrastructure projects, renewable and other energy projects, and local agency plan and ordinance updates. She has written three books, and more than 50 articles, on environmental and land use topics, and regularly teaches land use, environmental and climate law in law and business schools, colleges and seminars. She also serves on the firm's Directors Committee and received the firm's highest honor – the Chesterfield Smith Award – for her community service.
Ms. Hernandez graduated with honors from Harvard University and Stanford Law School, and clerked for Region 20 of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) before beginning her land use and environmental law career. Ms. Hernandez is the daughter and granddaughter of steelworkers and was raised in Pittsburg, California. She and her husband live in Berkeley and Los Angeles.
Founder & President, Arizona Strategies
Karrin Taylor Robson is a respected and long-time Arizona business leader and land-use expert. She is Founder and President of Arizona Strategies, a premier land use strategy firm headquartered in Phoenix. Throughout her extensive career, she has entitled more than 35,000 acres including more than 45,000 homes and over 25 million square feet of commercial uses.
Karrin has worked with national organizations representing major landowners and stakeholders across the country to advance balanced federal environmental law and policy on endangered species acts and wetlands issues. In addition, she has advanced multiple public-private partnerships, leveraging private sector capital to deliver public infrastructure and other public benefits.
Karrin has also served on the boards of numerous government, community and economic development organizations. In June 2017, she was appointed by Governor Doug Ducey to the Arizona Board of Regents which is responsible for the governance of the state’s public universities, Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University and the University of Arizona. She served as the Chair of the Joe Foss Institute, Vice Chair of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, trustee of Boys and Girls Club of Metro Phoenix Foundation, and a board member of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and invisionAZ. Karrin currently serves as a member of the Civic Leaders Group for the Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force, a member of the Arizona-Mexico Commission and a member of the board of American Council of Trustees and Alumni.
Prior to forming Arizona Strategies, Karrin served as Executive Vice President of DMB Associates, Inc., a Scottsdale based master-planned community developer where she was responsible for ongoing land use entitlement matters and other value-enhancing efforts for its communities and businesses.
Earlier in her career, Karrin was a principal with the law firm of Biskind, Hunt & Taylor, P.L.C., where she practiced in the areas of land use, development and zoning law representing large landowners on significant and complex land use cases.
Her deep Arizona history and professional experience have shaped her perspective on our culture today and helped define her personal priorities. She believes that being actively involved in the community is a prerequisite for being an American.
Through her numerous professional, community and philanthropic commitments, Karrin advocates daily for building and sustaining a dynamic and diverse economy, protecting property rights and creating value in real estate, developing a world-class education system with options for all types of learners, fostering civic engagement and supporting the men and women who serve in our military.
Karrin is the mother of four, a grandmother, and the wife of Ed Robson. In the most recent chapter of her career, Karrin was a candidate for Governor of Arizona.
Judge, United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
Lawrence VanDyke serves as a circuit judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Prior to that appointment in January 2020, he served as a Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the United States Department of Justice. Before that, he served consecutively as the Solicitor General of two western states – Nevada and Montana. At the beginning of his legal career, he worked as an attorney in the Appellate and Constitutional Issues practice group at Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, LLP.
Judge VanDyke received his law degree magna cum laude from Harvard Law School, where he was an editor on the Harvard Law Review. He has engineering and theology undergraduate degrees and a masters degree in engineering management. He served as a law clerk to the Honorable Janice Rogers Brown of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Judge VanDyke and his wife Cheryl live in Reno, Nevada, and they have three children.
Attorney General, State of Georgia
Christopher M. Carr was appointed by Governor Nathan Deal and sworn into office as Georgia's 54th Attorney General on November 1, 2016. On November 6, 2018, Carr was elected by the people of Georgia to serve a full four-year term.
As Attorney General, Carr believes he has no more solemn duty than to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, the Constitution and laws of the State of Georgia and the interests of the people of the State of Georgia. He also believes that his office must play a significant role in protecting Georgians. Since taking office in 2016, Carr has made it a priority to combat opioid misuse, gang violence, human trafficking, elder abuse and consumer fraud. He established and leads the Statewide Opioid Task Force – which now has more than 400 members – and the Georgia Anti-Gang Network – which is focused on strengthening multi-jurisdictional investigations and prosecutions. To help prevent our older, at-risk adults from falling victim to scams, Carr created the Georgia Consumer Protection Guide for Older Adults, and he works every day to make sure older, at-risk adults and all consumers are protected from exploitation in any form. Carr is also a champion for the state’s Sunshine Laws, working each day to ensure that government operates openly and transparently. In 2019, he announced the creation of the state's first-ever Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit at the Department of Law. Under his leadership, the unit will work with statewide partners to aggressively combat buyers and traffickers.
Carr appoints all members of the Georgia Consumer Advisory Board and is a member of the Georgia Board of Homeland Security. He served on Georgia’s Judicial Nominating Commission, the body charged with recommending candidates to the Governor to fill judicial vacancies, from 2011 through 2018, and the Executive Committee for the Georgia Older Adults Cabinet from 2016 - 2018. A dedicated member of the National Association of Attorneys General, Carr currently serves on the Human Trafficking, Substance Abuse and Presidential Initiative Committees (focused on elder abuse in 2017-18 and natural disasters in 2018-19) where he collaborates with his colleagues to shape the association's policies in these respective areas.
Carr previously served as Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) under Governor Deal from November 2013 to November 2016. As Commissioner, Carr led the state agency responsible for creating jobs and investment in Georgia through business recruitment, retention and expansion, international trade and tourism, as well as the arts, film and music industries. During Carr's three-year tenure at GDEcD, the state of Georgia was recognized as the top state in the nation in which to do business for three consecutive years. In addition, GDEcD helped facilitate 1,069 projects across the state that represent approximately $14.4 billion in investment and the creation of more than 84,000 jobs. In 2015, GDEcD was recognized as the top economic development agency in the country.
Prior to joining GDEcD, Carr was Chief of Staff for U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson for six years. During his time in Washington, Carr advised the Senator on federal legislation, numerous judicial nominees for the U.S. Supreme Court and lower federal courts in Georgia and across the country.
Carr began his career with Georgia Pacific, then practiced law with Alston & Bird LLP in Atlanta and later served as Vice President and General Counsel for the Georgia Public Policy Foundation.
A graduate from the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business and Lumpkin School of Law, Carr is admitted to practice law in Georgia.
President, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform
Harold H. Kim was elected president of the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) in December 2019, after nearly 12 years of holding a senior leadership position within ILR. Under Kim, the Institute will continue to be a comprehensive, multifaceted global legal reform campaign with cutting-edge advocacy, research, communications, and voter education initiatives.
Kim is responsible for providing strategy, policy guidance, programmatic management, and leadership for ILR’s comprehensive program aimed at improving the nation’s litigation climate.
Before joining ILR, Kim was special assistant to the president in the White House Office of Legislative Affairs. There he served as former President George W. Bush’s liaison to the Senate on matters involving national security, the judiciary, civil justice reform, intellectual property, and criminal law enforcement. During his tenure, he helped win confirmation for several of President Bush’s judicial and executive nominees and worked closely with Congress to advance the administration’s policy priorities.
From 2003 to 2007, Kim served as counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee, deputy chief counsel to the late ranking member Arlen Specter, and senior committee counsel for then-Chairman Orrin Hatch. During the passage of the 2005 Class Action Fairness Act, Kim was the committee’s chief civil counsel and advised Republican members during the bill’s committee markup and Senate floor action. He also advised committee members in the areas of asbestos, class action, medical malpractice, and bankruptcy litigation reform.
Prior to government service, Kim was a senior litigation associate at the Washington, D.C.-based law firm of Patton Boggs, LLP.
Kim is an elected member of the American Law Institute and the International Association of Defense Counsel. He is a graduate of the University of California, Irvine, and earned a J.D. from The Catholic University of America.
Attorney General, State of Georgia
Christopher M. Carr was appointed by Governor Nathan Deal and sworn into office as Georgia's 54th Attorney General on November 1, 2016. On November 6, 2018, Carr was elected by the people of Georgia to serve a full four-year term.
As Attorney General, Carr believes he has no more solemn duty than to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, the Constitution and laws of the State of Georgia and the interests of the people of the State of Georgia. He also believes that his office must play a significant role in protecting Georgians. Since taking office in 2016, Carr has made it a priority to combat opioid misuse, gang violence, human trafficking, elder abuse and consumer fraud. He established and leads the Statewide Opioid Task Force – which now has more than 400 members – and the Georgia Anti-Gang Network – which is focused on strengthening multi-jurisdictional investigations and prosecutions. To help prevent our older, at-risk adults from falling victim to scams, Carr created the Georgia Consumer Protection Guide for Older Adults, and he works every day to make sure older, at-risk adults and all consumers are protected from exploitation in any form. Carr is also a champion for the state’s Sunshine Laws, working each day to ensure that government operates openly and transparently. In 2019, he announced the creation of the state's first-ever Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit at the Department of Law. Under his leadership, the unit will work with statewide partners to aggressively combat buyers and traffickers.
Carr appoints all members of the Georgia Consumer Advisory Board and is a member of the Georgia Board of Homeland Security. He served on Georgia’s Judicial Nominating Commission, the body charged with recommending candidates to the Governor to fill judicial vacancies, from 2011 through 2018, and the Executive Committee for the Georgia Older Adults Cabinet from 2016 - 2018. A dedicated member of the National Association of Attorneys General, Carr currently serves on the Human Trafficking, Substance Abuse and Presidential Initiative Committees (focused on elder abuse in 2017-18 and natural disasters in 2018-19) where he collaborates with his colleagues to shape the association's policies in these respective areas.
Carr previously served as Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) under Governor Deal from November 2013 to November 2016. As Commissioner, Carr led the state agency responsible for creating jobs and investment in Georgia through business recruitment, retention and expansion, international trade and tourism, as well as the arts, film and music industries. During Carr's three-year tenure at GDEcD, the state of Georgia was recognized as the top state in the nation in which to do business for three consecutive years. In addition, GDEcD helped facilitate 1,069 projects across the state that represent approximately $14.4 billion in investment and the creation of more than 84,000 jobs. In 2015, GDEcD was recognized as the top economic development agency in the country.
Prior to joining GDEcD, Carr was Chief of Staff for U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson for six years. During his time in Washington, Carr advised the Senator on federal legislation, numerous judicial nominees for the U.S. Supreme Court and lower federal courts in Georgia and across the country.
Carr began his career with Georgia Pacific, then practiced law with Alston & Bird LLP in Atlanta and later served as Vice President and General Counsel for the Georgia Public Policy Foundation.
A graduate from the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business and Lumpkin School of Law, Carr is admitted to practice law in Georgia.
Partner, Paul Hastings
Chris Carr is a partner in the San Francisco office of Paul Hastings LLP and chairs the firm’s Environment and Energy Practice Group. He is widely regarded as one of the leading infrastructure development, environmental, and energy lawyers in the United States. Drawing on his experience with the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of State, Mr. Carr represents businesses, landowners, public agencies, and nonprofits in all areas of environmental and natural resources law, including energy and infrastructure, water, forestry, agriculture, mining, and coastal and marine resources.
In particular, his practice focuses on permitting and litigation under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA), the Clean Water Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and their California counterparts: the California ESA, the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act, and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). He has deep expertise and broad experience in local, state, federal, and international laws, regulations, initiatives, and programs addressing climate change and driving the energy transition.
Mr. Carr frequently defends permits, approvals, and environmental review documents for energy and other infrastructure projects in federal and state courts, and defends against “citizen suits” brought under federal and state environmental statutes for all manner of land and resources development.
Mr. Carr was Chair of Morrison and Foerster’s Global Energy & Environment Practice and Co-chair of its Cleantech Practice Group from 2010 – 2017. He is a regular speaker at Berkeley Law and Stanford Law School. Mr. Carr received his J.D. and Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.
He has published widely in the area of environmental regulation, and is frequently interviewed by the broadcast and print media for his views, including:
United States Attorney, Eastern District of California
Mr. Grant was appointed by Attorney General Pam Bondi to serve as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of California beginning on August 11, 2025. Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 546(d), he was further appointed by the district court effective December 9, 2025.
Mr. Grant is a veteran of the Department of Justice, having served twice in Washington, D.C.: from 1991 to 1993 as an Attorney-Adviser in the Office of Legal Counsel, and from 2017 to 2021 as a Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). During his tenure at ENRD, he supervised more than a hundred Department litigators advancing the interests of the United States and its agencies in both enforcement and defensive matters, both civil and criminal.
In addition to his service in the Department, Mr. Grant has decades of experience in private practice in Washington, D.C. and Sacramento. That experience includes arguments in the U.S. Supreme Court, the California Supreme Court, and numerous other federal and state courts.
Mr. Grant served as a law clerk to Chief Justice Warren E. Burger (retired) and Associate Justice Clarence Thomas during the Supreme Court’s October 1994 Term. Earlier he served as a law clerk to Judge Edith H. Jones of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in Houston, Texas.
Mr. Grant grew up in Modesto, California and raised his family in Sacramento County. He attended the University of California, Berkeley, from which he earned a bachelor’s degree in economics (1986) and a law degree (1990).
Partner, Holland & Knight
Jennifer Hernandez has practiced land use and environmental law for more than 30 years, and leads Holland & Knight's West Coast Land Use and Environmental Group. Ms. Hernandez divides her time between the firm's San Francisco and Los Angeles offices.
Ms. Hernandez is the only California lawyer ranked by her clients and peers in Chambers USA in the top tier of both land use/zoning and environmental lawyers. In addition, she was recognized as the top environmental litigator of the year in the San Francisco Bay Area by Best Lawyers, and received a California Lawyer of the Year award from the State Bar of California for her work on California's largest and most innovative land use and conservation agreement between her private landowner client and five major environmental organizations, including the Sierra Club and Natural Resources Defense Council. She also has received numerous civil rights awards for her work on overcoming environmentalist opposition to housing and other projects needed and supported by minority communities.
During his tenure as mayor of San Francisco, Willie Brown named October 9, 2002, as "Jennifer Hernandez Day" in San Francisco in honor of her work as a "warrior on the Brownfields" to restore and redevelop former industrial lands. Ms. Hernandez is the longest-serving minority board member (23 years) of the California League of Conservation voters, was appointed by President Clinton to serve as a trustee for the Presidio National Park in San Francisco, and serves on the board of directors for California Forward and Sustainable Conservation.
Ms. Hernandez works for private sector, public agency and nonprofit clients on a broad range of projects in Bay Area, Southern California and Central Valley communities, including infill and master-planned mixed-use housing and commercial projects, university and research facilities, transportation and infrastructure projects, renewable and other energy projects, and local agency plan and ordinance updates. She has written three books, and more than 50 articles, on environmental and land use topics, and regularly teaches land use, environmental and climate law in law and business schools, colleges and seminars. She also serves on the firm's Directors Committee and received the firm's highest honor – the Chesterfield Smith Award – for her community service.
Ms. Hernandez graduated with honors from Harvard University and Stanford Law School, and clerked for Region 20 of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) before beginning her land use and environmental law career. Ms. Hernandez is the daughter and granddaughter of steelworkers and was raised in Pittsburg, California. She and her husband live in Berkeley and Los Angeles.
Founder & President, Arizona Strategies
Karrin Taylor Robson is a respected and long-time Arizona business leader and land-use expert. She is Founder and President of Arizona Strategies, a premier land use strategy firm headquartered in Phoenix. Throughout her extensive career, she has entitled more than 35,000 acres including more than 45,000 homes and over 25 million square feet of commercial uses.
Karrin has worked with national organizations representing major landowners and stakeholders across the country to advance balanced federal environmental law and policy on endangered species acts and wetlands issues. In addition, she has advanced multiple public-private partnerships, leveraging private sector capital to deliver public infrastructure and other public benefits.
Karrin has also served on the boards of numerous government, community and economic development organizations. In June 2017, she was appointed by Governor Doug Ducey to the Arizona Board of Regents which is responsible for the governance of the state’s public universities, Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University and the University of Arizona. She served as the Chair of the Joe Foss Institute, Vice Chair of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, trustee of Boys and Girls Club of Metro Phoenix Foundation, and a board member of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and invisionAZ. Karrin currently serves as a member of the Civic Leaders Group for the Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force, a member of the Arizona-Mexico Commission and a member of the board of American Council of Trustees and Alumni.
Prior to forming Arizona Strategies, Karrin served as Executive Vice President of DMB Associates, Inc., a Scottsdale based master-planned community developer where she was responsible for ongoing land use entitlement matters and other value-enhancing efforts for its communities and businesses.
Earlier in her career, Karrin was a principal with the law firm of Biskind, Hunt & Taylor, P.L.C., where she practiced in the areas of land use, development and zoning law representing large landowners on significant and complex land use cases.
Her deep Arizona history and professional experience have shaped her perspective on our culture today and helped define her personal priorities. She believes that being actively involved in the community is a prerequisite for being an American.
Through her numerous professional, community and philanthropic commitments, Karrin advocates daily for building and sustaining a dynamic and diverse economy, protecting property rights and creating value in real estate, developing a world-class education system with options for all types of learners, fostering civic engagement and supporting the men and women who serve in our military.
Karrin is the mother of four, a grandmother, and the wife of Ed Robson. In the most recent chapter of her career, Karrin was a candidate for Governor of Arizona.
Judge, United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
Lawrence VanDyke serves as a circuit judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Prior to that appointment in January 2020, he served as a Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the United States Department of Justice. Before that, he served consecutively as the Solicitor General of two western states – Nevada and Montana. At the beginning of his legal career, he worked as an attorney in the Appellate and Constitutional Issues practice group at Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, LLP.
Judge VanDyke received his law degree magna cum laude from Harvard Law School, where he was an editor on the Harvard Law Review. He has engineering and theology undergraduate degrees and a masters degree in engineering management. He served as a law clerk to the Honorable Janice Rogers Brown of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Judge VanDyke and his wife Cheryl live in Reno, Nevada, and they have three children.
Partner, Paul Hastings
Chris Carr is a partner in the San Francisco office of Paul Hastings LLP and chairs the firm’s Environment and Energy Practice Group. He is widely regarded as one of the leading infrastructure development, environmental, and energy lawyers in the United States. Drawing on his experience with the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of State, Mr. Carr represents businesses, landowners, public agencies, and nonprofits in all areas of environmental and natural resources law, including energy and infrastructure, water, forestry, agriculture, mining, and coastal and marine resources.
In particular, his practice focuses on permitting and litigation under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA), the Clean Water Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and their California counterparts: the California ESA, the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act, and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). He has deep expertise and broad experience in local, state, federal, and international laws, regulations, initiatives, and programs addressing climate change and driving the energy transition.
Mr. Carr frequently defends permits, approvals, and environmental review documents for energy and other infrastructure projects in federal and state courts, and defends against “citizen suits” brought under federal and state environmental statutes for all manner of land and resources development.
Mr. Carr was Chair of Morrison and Foerster’s Global Energy & Environment Practice and Co-chair of its Cleantech Practice Group from 2010 – 2017. He is a regular speaker at Berkeley Law and Stanford Law School. Mr. Carr received his J.D. and Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.
He has published widely in the area of environmental regulation, and is frequently interviewed by the broadcast and print media for his views, including:
United States Attorney, Eastern District of California
Mr. Grant was appointed by Attorney General Pam Bondi to serve as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of California beginning on August 11, 2025. Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 546(d), he was further appointed by the district court effective December 9, 2025.
Mr. Grant is a veteran of the Department of Justice, having served twice in Washington, D.C.: from 1991 to 1993 as an Attorney-Adviser in the Office of Legal Counsel, and from 2017 to 2021 as a Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). During his tenure at ENRD, he supervised more than a hundred Department litigators advancing the interests of the United States and its agencies in both enforcement and defensive matters, both civil and criminal.
In addition to his service in the Department, Mr. Grant has decades of experience in private practice in Washington, D.C. and Sacramento. That experience includes arguments in the U.S. Supreme Court, the California Supreme Court, and numerous other federal and state courts.
Mr. Grant served as a law clerk to Chief Justice Warren E. Burger (retired) and Associate Justice Clarence Thomas during the Supreme Court’s October 1994 Term. Earlier he served as a law clerk to Judge Edith H. Jones of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in Houston, Texas.
Mr. Grant grew up in Modesto, California and raised his family in Sacramento County. He attended the University of California, Berkeley, from which he earned a bachelor’s degree in economics (1986) and a law degree (1990).
Partner, Holland & Knight
Jennifer Hernandez has practiced land use and environmental law for more than 30 years, and leads Holland & Knight's West Coast Land Use and Environmental Group. Ms. Hernandez divides her time between the firm's San Francisco and Los Angeles offices.
Ms. Hernandez is the only California lawyer ranked by her clients and peers in Chambers USA in the top tier of both land use/zoning and environmental lawyers. In addition, she was recognized as the top environmental litigator of the year in the San Francisco Bay Area by Best Lawyers, and received a California Lawyer of the Year award from the State Bar of California for her work on California's largest and most innovative land use and conservation agreement between her private landowner client and five major environmental organizations, including the Sierra Club and Natural Resources Defense Council. She also has received numerous civil rights awards for her work on overcoming environmentalist opposition to housing and other projects needed and supported by minority communities.
During his tenure as mayor of San Francisco, Willie Brown named October 9, 2002, as "Jennifer Hernandez Day" in San Francisco in honor of her work as a "warrior on the Brownfields" to restore and redevelop former industrial lands. Ms. Hernandez is the longest-serving minority board member (23 years) of the California League of Conservation voters, was appointed by President Clinton to serve as a trustee for the Presidio National Park in San Francisco, and serves on the board of directors for California Forward and Sustainable Conservation.
Ms. Hernandez works for private sector, public agency and nonprofit clients on a broad range of projects in Bay Area, Southern California and Central Valley communities, including infill and master-planned mixed-use housing and commercial projects, university and research facilities, transportation and infrastructure projects, renewable and other energy projects, and local agency plan and ordinance updates. She has written three books, and more than 50 articles, on environmental and land use topics, and regularly teaches land use, environmental and climate law in law and business schools, colleges and seminars. She also serves on the firm's Directors Committee and received the firm's highest honor – the Chesterfield Smith Award – for her community service.
Ms. Hernandez graduated with honors from Harvard University and Stanford Law School, and clerked for Region 20 of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) before beginning her land use and environmental law career. Ms. Hernandez is the daughter and granddaughter of steelworkers and was raised in Pittsburg, California. She and her husband live in Berkeley and Los Angeles.
Founder & President, Arizona Strategies
Karrin Taylor Robson is a respected and long-time Arizona business leader and land-use expert. She is Founder and President of Arizona Strategies, a premier land use strategy firm headquartered in Phoenix. Throughout her extensive career, she has entitled more than 35,000 acres including more than 45,000 homes and over 25 million square feet of commercial uses.
Karrin has worked with national organizations representing major landowners and stakeholders across the country to advance balanced federal environmental law and policy on endangered species acts and wetlands issues. In addition, she has advanced multiple public-private partnerships, leveraging private sector capital to deliver public infrastructure and other public benefits.
Karrin has also served on the boards of numerous government, community and economic development organizations. In June 2017, she was appointed by Governor Doug Ducey to the Arizona Board of Regents which is responsible for the governance of the state’s public universities, Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University and the University of Arizona. She served as the Chair of the Joe Foss Institute, Vice Chair of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, trustee of Boys and Girls Club of Metro Phoenix Foundation, and a board member of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and invisionAZ. Karrin currently serves as a member of the Civic Leaders Group for the Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force, a member of the Arizona-Mexico Commission and a member of the board of American Council of Trustees and Alumni.
Prior to forming Arizona Strategies, Karrin served as Executive Vice President of DMB Associates, Inc., a Scottsdale based master-planned community developer where she was responsible for ongoing land use entitlement matters and other value-enhancing efforts for its communities and businesses.
Earlier in her career, Karrin was a principal with the law firm of Biskind, Hunt & Taylor, P.L.C., where she practiced in the areas of land use, development and zoning law representing large landowners on significant and complex land use cases.
Her deep Arizona history and professional experience have shaped her perspective on our culture today and helped define her personal priorities. She believes that being actively involved in the community is a prerequisite for being an American.
Through her numerous professional, community and philanthropic commitments, Karrin advocates daily for building and sustaining a dynamic and diverse economy, protecting property rights and creating value in real estate, developing a world-class education system with options for all types of learners, fostering civic engagement and supporting the men and women who serve in our military.
Karrin is the mother of four, a grandmother, and the wife of Ed Robson. In the most recent chapter of her career, Karrin was a candidate for Governor of Arizona.
Judge, United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
Lawrence VanDyke serves as a circuit judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Prior to that appointment in January 2020, he served as a Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the United States Department of Justice. Before that, he served consecutively as the Solicitor General of two western states – Nevada and Montana. At the beginning of his legal career, he worked as an attorney in the Appellate and Constitutional Issues practice group at Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, LLP.
Judge VanDyke received his law degree magna cum laude from Harvard Law School, where he was an editor on the Harvard Law Review. He has engineering and theology undergraduate degrees and a masters degree in engineering management. He served as a law clerk to the Honorable Janice Rogers Brown of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Judge VanDyke and his wife Cheryl live in Reno, Nevada, and they have three children.
President, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform
Harold H. Kim was elected president of the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) in December 2019, after nearly 12 years of holding a senior leadership position within ILR. Under Kim, the Institute will continue to be a comprehensive, multifaceted global legal reform campaign with cutting-edge advocacy, research, communications, and voter education initiatives.
Kim is responsible for providing strategy, policy guidance, programmatic management, and leadership for ILR’s comprehensive program aimed at improving the nation’s litigation climate.
Before joining ILR, Kim was special assistant to the president in the White House Office of Legislative Affairs. There he served as former President George W. Bush’s liaison to the Senate on matters involving national security, the judiciary, civil justice reform, intellectual property, and criminal law enforcement. During his tenure, he helped win confirmation for several of President Bush’s judicial and executive nominees and worked closely with Congress to advance the administration’s policy priorities.
From 2003 to 2007, Kim served as counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee, deputy chief counsel to the late ranking member Arlen Specter, and senior committee counsel for then-Chairman Orrin Hatch. During the passage of the 2005 Class Action Fairness Act, Kim was the committee’s chief civil counsel and advised Republican members during the bill’s committee markup and Senate floor action. He also advised committee members in the areas of asbestos, class action, medical malpractice, and bankruptcy litigation reform.
Prior to government service, Kim was a senior litigation associate at the Washington, D.C.-based law firm of Patton Boggs, LLP.
Kim is an elected member of the American Law Institute and the International Association of Defense Counsel. He is a graduate of the University of California, Irvine, and earned a J.D. from The Catholic University of America.
Attorney General, State of Georgia
Christopher M. Carr was appointed by Governor Nathan Deal and sworn into office as Georgia's 54th Attorney General on November 1, 2016. On November 6, 2018, Carr was elected by the people of Georgia to serve a full four-year term.
As Attorney General, Carr believes he has no more solemn duty than to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, the Constitution and laws of the State of Georgia and the interests of the people of the State of Georgia. He also believes that his office must play a significant role in protecting Georgians. Since taking office in 2016, Carr has made it a priority to combat opioid misuse, gang violence, human trafficking, elder abuse and consumer fraud. He established and leads the Statewide Opioid Task Force – which now has more than 400 members – and the Georgia Anti-Gang Network – which is focused on strengthening multi-jurisdictional investigations and prosecutions. To help prevent our older, at-risk adults from falling victim to scams, Carr created the Georgia Consumer Protection Guide for Older Adults, and he works every day to make sure older, at-risk adults and all consumers are protected from exploitation in any form. Carr is also a champion for the state’s Sunshine Laws, working each day to ensure that government operates openly and transparently. In 2019, he announced the creation of the state's first-ever Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit at the Department of Law. Under his leadership, the unit will work with statewide partners to aggressively combat buyers and traffickers.
Carr appoints all members of the Georgia Consumer Advisory Board and is a member of the Georgia Board of Homeland Security. He served on Georgia’s Judicial Nominating Commission, the body charged with recommending candidates to the Governor to fill judicial vacancies, from 2011 through 2018, and the Executive Committee for the Georgia Older Adults Cabinet from 2016 - 2018. A dedicated member of the National Association of Attorneys General, Carr currently serves on the Human Trafficking, Substance Abuse and Presidential Initiative Committees (focused on elder abuse in 2017-18 and natural disasters in 2018-19) where he collaborates with his colleagues to shape the association's policies in these respective areas.
Carr previously served as Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) under Governor Deal from November 2013 to November 2016. As Commissioner, Carr led the state agency responsible for creating jobs and investment in Georgia through business recruitment, retention and expansion, international trade and tourism, as well as the arts, film and music industries. During Carr's three-year tenure at GDEcD, the state of Georgia was recognized as the top state in the nation in which to do business for three consecutive years. In addition, GDEcD helped facilitate 1,069 projects across the state that represent approximately $14.4 billion in investment and the creation of more than 84,000 jobs. In 2015, GDEcD was recognized as the top economic development agency in the country.
Prior to joining GDEcD, Carr was Chief of Staff for U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson for six years. During his time in Washington, Carr advised the Senator on federal legislation, numerous judicial nominees for the U.S. Supreme Court and lower federal courts in Georgia and across the country.
Carr began his career with Georgia Pacific, then practiced law with Alston & Bird LLP in Atlanta and later served as Vice President and General Counsel for the Georgia Public Policy Foundation.
A graduate from the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business and Lumpkin School of Law, Carr is admitted to practice law in Georgia.
Dinner & Keynote Address
Inaugural Georgia Chapters Conference
Atlanta, GARemarks from Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr
Atlanta Lawyers Chapter
Atlanta, GAPanel 1: The Not So Wild West? How Regulations Have Affected Land Use in the Western States
Chris Carr, Eric Grant, Jennifer L. Hernandez, Karrin Taylor Robson, Lawrence VanDyke
The rising cost of housing and the regulatory state are some of the major issues...
Panel 1: The Not So Wild West? How Regulations Have Affected Land Use in the Western States
Chris Carr, Eric Grant, Jennifer L. Hernandez, Karrin Taylor Robson, Lawrence VanDyke
The rising cost of housing and the regulatory state are some of the major issues...
Panel 1: The Not So Wild West? How Regulations Have Affected Land Use in the Western States
2023 Western Chapters Conference
Simi Valley, CAA Conversation with Attorney General Chris Carr
Georgia Student Chapter
Athens, GACOVID Liability Issues
Harold H. Kim, Christopher M. Carr
COVID-19 has changed life as we know it in innumerable ways. But what can we...
COVID Liability Issues
Executive Branch Review Week Teleforum
TeleforumLunch with Attorney General of Georgia
Atlanta Lawyers Chapter
AtlantaNever Say Never (to Commerce) Again: An Introduction to the Georgia Department of Economic Development
Atlanta, Georgia