Christopher Erker’s principal practice areas include regulatory compliance counseling, brownfields transactions, environmental enforcement defense, occupational safety and health counseling and defense, as well as commercial litigation. He has more than 15 years experience practicing law, with the last 13 years concentrating exclusively on environmental matters.

Mr. Erker assists corporate clients with a wide range of environmental matters, including permitting of manufacturing, waste treatment and barge facilities; counseling on hazardous waste regulation; conducting due diligence in mergers and acquisitions; and federal and state reporting and remediation requirements relating to the release of hazardous substances. He also advises on regulation of underground storage tanks, asbestos, lead, MTBE, and mold abatement and related litigation, regulation of the manufacture, sale and distribution of toxic materials; and the impact of conservation laws and wetlands on real estate development. In addition, Mr. Erker has experience implementing environmental management systems based upon the International Organization of Standardization (ISO) 14000 series of standards.

Mr. Erker also has assisted clients in complying with permits, recovering cleanup costs and obtaining environmental insurance coverage. He has litigation experience in the areas of federal and state government investigations and enforcement actions and private-party cost recovery actions under state and federal law.

Bar and Court Admissions

Missouri, 1992

Education

Saint Louis University, J.D., 1992

Marquette University, B.A., 1989

Speeches and Seminars

• "Environmental Considerations in Construction Law," May 18, 2000, St. Louis, Mo., The Seminar Group
• "Mold Insurance Coverage Issues," November 21, 2002, St. Louis, Mo., American Family Insurance Co.

Professional Affiliations

• American Bar Association – Member, Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Section, Science and Technology Section, Business Law Section, and Real Property, Probate and Trust Section
• Missouri Bar – Member, Environmental and Energy Law Committee
• Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis – Member, Environmental and Conservation Law Committee

Civic Involvement and Honors

• Headwaters Conservancy – Member
• Forest ReLeaf of Missouri – Board Member