Chris A. Paul

Chris A. Paul has significant legal and management experience in providing counseling to refining, manufacturing, terminal and transportation operations in areas of liabilities and exposures, regulatory requirements and issues (including environmental, safety and security), risk management, risk communication, compliance program auditing and upgrading, and development of training and management systems. Mr. Paul has extensive experience with legal issues involving pipeline and terminal management and operations for products, crude oil, asphalt, NGL, natural gas transmission, and natural gas distribution pipelines, including system and facilities acquisitions and divestitures, capacity leasing, real estate transactions, right of way issues, feedstock and product quality issues, operating agreements and contracting, SCADA issues, security and public awareness programs, DOT, OSHA, TSA, and EPA compliance, criminal investigations, emergency response, and litigation activities..Mr. Paul is a business leader but also a legal resource who was admitted to the bars of the states of Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, and Kansas, the United States Supreme Court, and various United States district courts. He is a frequent speaker at energy industry meetings and for individual companies seeking to improve their business and compliance practices. Mr. Paul earned his J.D. from the Marshall-Wythe School of Law at the College of William and Mary in 1983, and his B.A. in International Studies and History from Dickinson College in 1980. Mr. Paul was formerly the General Counsel of Gulf Oil LP, and the General Counsel at Blueknight Energy Partners. His career experience also includes serving as in-house counsel for Sun Company and Sun Pipe Line Company, Environmental Manager for Sun Company, Tulsa Refinery, a partner with Joyce & Paul, PLLC, a law firm he co-founded in 2000, and partner at both Gardere & Wynne, LLP and McAfee & Taft. He also served on active duty for four years as a U.S. Army JAGC lawyer with the Seventh Infantry Division, and concurrently served as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the Northern District of California.