Christopher R Nolen

In addition to being an attorney with McGuireWoods LLP, Chris is a senior vice president in McGuireWoods Consulting's State Government Relations Group.

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He focuses his practice on representing clients before state and local agencies, the Virginia General Assembly, and in multistate matters involving state attorneys general. Chris holds the CIPP/US credential as a Certified Information Privacy Professional from the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP).

Chris has built extensive state and local relationships through being involved in Virginia politics and legislative policy for more than 25 years. He served for three years in the Virginia attorney general’s office as special counsel and then chief counsel to the attorney general. In those positions, Chris sat at the intersection of the law, policy and press. Additionally, he was responsible for heading the attorney general’s legislative efforts resulting in more than 100 pieces of legislation being enacted into law. He also oversaw the official opinion process of the attorney general, which issued more than 300 formal and informal opinions interpreting state law for agencies, legislators and the governor.

Chris also served as the executive director for a former governor’s political action committee, as legislative assistant to state legislators who now serve as the House Republican majority leader and as a member of Congress, and has managed and advised numerous legislative campaigns and served as campaign director for a Virginia gubernatorial campaign. He also provides legal counsel to local and state elected officials regarding campaign finance, election law, recounts, election contests and ethics complaints.

Practices

Education

George Mason University, JD, cum laude, Dean's Scholar, 1999
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, BA, 1992

Affiliations

Member, Virginia Bar Association

Member, Virginia Code Commission

Virginia Commissioner, Uniform Law Commission

Insights

Author, Virginia Punts Several Privacy-Related Bills for Post-Session Study, Password Protected, February 3, 2020
Author, Will Virginia Follow California’s Lead on Consumer Privacy Legislation?, Password Protected, January 6, 2020
Author, Va. to Consider Standards for Customer Record Care, Connected Device Security, Password Protected, January 28, 2019
Author, 2018 Virginia General Assembly Wrap-Up: Modest Privacy-Related Bills Adopted, Password Protected, April 27, 2018
Author, Virginia General Assembly to Tackle a Variety of Privacy Related Bills, Password Protected, January 23, 2018
Author, The 2018 Virginia General Assembly Session Hasn’t Begun, but Legislation on Student Privacy and Credit Freeze Charges is Already Pending, Password Protected, December 18, 2017
Author, The Politics of Access to Student Data, Password Protected, October 25, 2017
Author, Is It Too Late for a Uniform State Approach to Data Breach Notification?, Password Protected, August 1, 2017
Author, Uniform Approach Proposed to Protect Employee and Student Online Login Information, Password Protected, July 27, 2016
Author, State Attorneys General Offer Perspectives on Data Breaches, Password Protected, December 15, 2015
Co-author, Election Law and Government Ethics: 2015 Annual Survey of Virginia Law, 50 U. Rich. L. Rev. 143, 2015
Co-author, Election Law, 47 U. Rich. L. Rev. 181, 2012
Co-author, Election Law, 46 U. Rich. Rev. 119, 2011
Author, Election Law, 44 U.Rich.Rev. 403, 2009
Author, Election Law, 41 U. Rich. L. Rev. 121, 2006
Author, Election Law, 35 U. Rich. L. Rev. 575, 2001

Industries

Political Law

Admissions

Virginia
U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia
U.S. Supreme Court

Recognition

Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America, Government Relations, Woodward/White, Inc. 2011-2020

Named to "Legal Elite," Legislative/Regulatory/Administrative, Virginia Business, 2014

Christopher R. Nolen Partner