Chuck Knauss is recognized as a “legend in the field” of climate change (Chambers USA 2015), having served US manufacturing and energy sectors for more than 30 years.Chambers USA 2015 reports that clients say Chuck has “extraordinary strategic and analytical capabilities—he finds solutions others just cannot see. He can focus on the key issues when it’s a blur of issues to others…and has great understanding of how government agencies work.” He is “an absolutely superb lawyer, top of the list, extraordinarily smart and very strategic in his thinking, he’s extremely creative, he develops practical solutions, and he understands business needs,” “has formidable knowledge of the Clean Air Act and is one of the very few top air law practitioners in the country.”

Chuck is recognized by peers and clients alike for his ability to craft and negotiate effective regulatory and legislative solutions to previously intractable problems regardless of subject matter. As a result, clients often call upon him in crisis situations ranging from financial to energy or environmental matters, including such issues as tax, food safety, pesticides, contaminated sediments or transportation.

From 1987 to 1990, Chuck served as minority counsel to the US House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce and was lead negotiator for the landmark 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments. He was one of only three House staff required to sign off on every provision of these comprehensive amendments, the most significant environmental and economic legislation in the past 25 years.