Recognized by Chambers as one of "the absolute best at the white collar bar," Mr. Starr's practice focuses on corporate governance and compliance initiatives for corporate clients facing serious and complex environmental contingencies.

An equally strong focus in representing corporations and individuals under investigation for environmental and other white collar offenses.

For over a decade, Mr. Starr chaired Venable's Environmental Practice group -- the only practice group in the nation that continues to also focus exclusively on representing clients facing environmental crimes issues. 

He is one of two former Chiefs of the U.S. Department of Justice's Environmental Crimes Section now at Venable. A value derived from their accumulated experience is an up-to-date knowledge base on environmental issues -- environmental crimes cases, plea agreements, pleading and other form files and data banks.

While serving as Chief, Mr. Starr, along with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, created, developed and directed the federal environmental crimes programs and policies. He also served as the Justice Department's chief spokesperson for the program and as the government's lead coordinator for all federal prosecutors and federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.

Significant Matters

Mr. Starr represents domestic and international corporations engaged in a wide variety of industries. His clients include companies that produce chemicals, aircraft, energy, pulp and paper, food products, natural gas, oil and other petroleum products. Recent corporate clients have included:

• one of the world's largest cruise lines;
• a market leader in the petroleum maritime shipping industry;
• one of the nation's largest manufacturers of cast iron pipes;
• a multi-national steel company;
• a FORTUNE 50 waste-management company;
• a leading manufacturer of farm equipment;
• one of the nation's largest sugar refineries; and
• several of the top defense contractors.

His individual clients have included environmental lawyers, corporate officers and general counsels.

Activities

Mr. Starr is active in local, national and international bar associations and chairs various committees on environmental issues. He co-chairs the annual ALI-ABA Conference on Environmental Crimes.

He is a member of the Board of Directors at Georgetown University Hospital.

He also serves on the Advisory Board of Georgetown University Law Center's Corporate Counsel Institute.

He served as a member of the Environmental Crimes Advisory Group, U.S. Sentencing Commission.

Mr. Starr is a member of Venable's Management Board.