Craig S. Burkhardt is a partner in the firm's Governmental Services & Finance Department, advising clients on government relations and regulatory matters related to the utility, trade, higher education, technology and healthcare insurance sectors. He also practices election law.
Mr. Burkhardt served as Chief Counsel for Technology at the U. S. Department of Commerce, leading the legal staff responsible for providing advice to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, National Technical Information Service, and departmental policy units, including the Office of Technology Policy. The 3,300 employees who work in these bureaus research and develop scientific, technical and commercial innovations and voluntary consensus standards. He advised the New York World Trade Center building failure investigation, for which he was presented the department's Gold Medal for scientific and engineering achievement by the Secretary of Commerce. Mr. Burkhardt also headed the department's office of the Chief Counsel for Industry and Security, leading the legal staff responsible for providing export administration and enforcement advice to the Bureau of Industry and Security. This office counseled the Bureau on regulatory and licensing aspects of exports, international cooperation, defense industrial base, anti-terrorism, national security, and critical infrastructure issues. The office also prosecuted administrative export enforcement cases, assisted criminal prosecutions, and advised federal special investigators. Mr. Burkhardt served on the Administrative Case Review Board, which recommended enforcement case outcomes to Bureau executive leadership. Burkhardt also served as Counselor to the General Counsel of the Department of Commerce, providing political, legal and operations advice.
Prior to his service in the Administration, Mr. Burkhardt served 20 years as a member of an Illinois commercial law firm. There he engaged in a utility legal and government relations practice representing Fortune 500 electric, natural gas, water, sewer and telecommunications utility companies before the state and federal courts and the Illinois General Assembly. In addition, he represented Fortune 500 financial, health insurance and construction management companies as well as a large public university before the Illinois General Assembly.
Earlier in his career at the Illinois firm, he served as Counsel to the Republican Leader of the Illinois House of Representatives, General Counsel of the Illinois Republican Party and National President of the Republican National Lawyers Association. Mr. Burkhardt has represented statewide, congressional, and presidential candidates and political and corporate committees before state and federal courts and administrative agencies with respect to election law issues. He is a member of the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America and serves on its Central Region and Chicago Area Council executive boards.
Mr. Burkhardt received his J.D. from St. Louis University in 1984, and his B.A. in Economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Events
02/24/2010, Business Development Planning: Government Economic Development & Stimulus Programs
05/18/2009, Sustainability and Greenhouse Gas Legislation: How Will This Affect Your Business?
10/07/2008, Illinois Republican Lawyers Meeting
09/10/2008, Attorney Presentation - Boykin and Burkhardt Discuss Upcoming Elections Update
12/01/2007, The Impact of Terrorism on Tall Buildings
09/21/2007, Burkhardt Presents at Chicago Business Luncheon
06/23/2007, Craig Burkhardt Gives Ethics Speech at National Election Law School
05/04/2007, Burkhardt Speaks to Technology Group on Federal Lobbying Matters
04/23/2007, Ethics of Deception in Government
08/12/2006, Burkhardt Speaks on Future Technical Standards of Election Machines
06/09/2006, Revivification of U.S. Science and Technology Competence and Competitiveness
(Also at Washington, D.C. Office)