World Bank Climate Change Senior Counsel Joins V&E

Firm Expands Practice Group

WASHINGTON, D.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Prominent environmental lawyer Christopher K. Carr, a former senior counsel at the World Bank, is rejoining Vinson & Elkins LLP as a Counsel and co-chair of the international law firm’s expanded Climate Change Practice Group.

“addressing climate change involves major shifts in energy use patterns.”

Mr. Carr, who will be based in V&E’s Washington, D.C. office, served as a senior legal advisor for the World Bank’s Carbon Finance Unit and advised the Bank on matters related to the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism and Joint Implementation provisions.

A 1996 graduate of the Columbia University School of Law, Mr. Carr joins a team of 41 lawyers based in Austin, Beijing, Dallas, Dubai, Houston, London, Moscow, New York, and Washington, D.C. who are part of V&E’s Climate Change Practice Group.

"Chris Carr has substantial experience dealing with carbon funds and in related climate change issues," said V&E partner Kevin Gaynor, a former lawyer at the federal Environmental Protection Agency who co-chairs the firm’s Climate Change Practice Group with Mr. Carr. "At the World Bank, Chris handled legal issues for several of the Bank’s large carbon funds. He joins a very experienced team that has expertise in project finance, renewable fuel projects, establishing carbon funds, handling environmental regulatory issues, and defending large companies involved in major climate change-related lawsuits."

Mr. Carr was a lawyer at Vinson & Elkins from 1998 to 2005. He lectures frequently on the subject of climate change, including a presentation in February 2007 at the NYU Environmental Law Journal colloquium called The Future of the American Legal Practice in the Regulation and Business of Greenhouse Gases. In June 2007, Mr. Carr gave a speech at the American Bar Association’s 35^th National Spring Conference on the Environment that addressed Global Warming: How the Law Can Best Address Climate Change. He has spoken at other events nationally and internationally.

"V&E’s strong energy and environmental practices are an outstanding platform for providing advice in the climate change area," said Mr. Carr. "A tremendous momentum has been pushing the drive toward increased regulation of greenhouse gases. This momentum is being recognized by a growing number of major U.S. companies and financial institutions."

Mr. Carr said that "addressing climate change involves major shifts in energy use patterns."

"In doing so, it builds on related issues of energy security and long-standing desires for improvements in energy efficiency and ‘clean energy’ such as renewables," he said. "It also involves cutting-edge issues and technical innovations such as advanced coal generation and carbon capture and storage, where significant capital investments may be required, but equally significant benefits may arise.”

"Climate change regulation has the potential to impact virtually every U.S. economic sector," said Mr. Carr. "We need to get U.S. regulatory approaches right. This involves getting right both the overall regulatory structure, as well as crucially implementing details. An enormous amount of learning can be gained from international regulation and developments over the past several years, and these international developments can significantly help shape the U.S. regulatory process."

Mr. Carr points out that the international carbon market is large and growing, with estimates putting last year’s carbon market at over $30 billion. "Additional U.S. participation could increase the size of the market substantially," he said. "But there are complex issues that exist regarding structuring transactions and assessing risk in this rapidly evolving market. V&E is one of the few law firms that has the expertise to advise clients dealing with the wide range of legal issues related to climate change."

For more information, please contact Christopher Carr at 202-639-6764 or via e-mail at [e-mail], or you may contact Kevin Gaynor at 202-639-6688 or via e-mail at [e-mail]. You also may contact Ashley Battelle in V&E Media Relations at 713-758-2052 or via e-mail at [e-mail].

Vinson & Elkins was established in 1917 and is one of the world's largest international law firms. The firm has more than 700 lawyers practicing in Austin, Beijing, Dallas, Dubai, Houston, Hong Kong, London, Moscow, New York, Shanghai, Tokyo and Washington D.C. Vinson & Elkins offers a wide range of legal services. Clients include public and private companies, financial institutions, municipalities, governments of sovereign nations, entrepreneurs, families and individuals. V&E is a primary sponsor of the American Bar Association's Silver Gavel Awards, which recognizes and promotes legal journalism.