Charles L. Franklin's practice includes a mix of regulatory counseling, litigation and transactional due diligence. Drawing on his prior experience as a federal regulator, he advises clients on pesticide and chemical regulations related to production, import and export and helps clients resolve compliance and enforcement issues with the appropriate authorities. Mr. Franklin’s representative matters have included—
- developing chemical registration and labeling strategies for petrochemical clients conducting business in the United States, European Union and Japan
- negotiating a REACH-compliant “Only Representative” agreement on behalf of a petrochemical manufacturer with customers throughout Europe
- representing a technology company before the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in pre-registration discussions on novel nanopesticide
- representing a manufacturer before EPA and congressional staff regarding ozone depletion rules
- drafting comments, administrative petitions and appellate briefs in support of challenges to federal actions.
As part of Akin Gump’s climate change practice, Mr. Franklin advises clients on legal and policy issues related to the developing climate change policies in the EU and United States and on the regulation of the growing CleanTech industry. His recent representative matters have included—
- monitoring and advising clients on regulation and commercialization of carbon capture and sequestration, coal polygeneration projects, advanced electrical storage and battery development and other alternative-energy technologies
- advising clients on state and federal stimulus funding opportunities and strategies to support development of clean coal and renewable technologies
- representing investment client in public-private partnership to improve environmental and financial performance of holdings
- advising investment clients on risks and opportunities to portfolio from climate change and related regulatory efforts in the United States and EU.
Mr. Franklin regularly contributes analysis as an author on ClimateIntel, a legal blog carried on Reuters Interactive and Bloomberg Financial.
Mr. Franklin represents clients in administrative proceedings, federal District Court and appeals court proceedings involving the Montreal Protocol, Clean Air Act, Federal Power Act, Federal Insecticide Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, Toxic Substances Control Act and the National Environmental Policy Act. He also counsels clients on environmental issues raised during merger and bankruptcy proceedings.
Mr. Franklin maintains an active pro bono practice, assisting both individual and institutional clients on issues ranging from child neglect and guardianship proceedings to voting rights litigation.
Before joining Akin Gump in 2003, Mr. Franklin served for 13 years at the Environmental Protection Agency as a regulator and branch chief. During his tenure, Mr. Franklin led several multidisciplinary teams that developed lead-poisoning prevention regulations under the Toxic Substances Control Act. As a branch chief in EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs, he coordinated the agency’s high-visibility press, stakeholder and congressional outreach efforts for a wide variety of pesticide and food safety issues.
Mr. Franklin received his B.A. in economics and communications from the University of Michigan in 1989, his M.P.P. from the University of Maryland School of Public Affairs in 1994 and his J.D. cum laude from the Georgetown University Law Center in 2003. He is a member of the Maryland and District of Columbia bars. He is also an active member and vice chair of the American Bar Association’s Pesticides, Chemical Regulation and Right-to-Know Committee and participates in other ABA committees related to climate change, CleanTech and other issues.