Craig Richardson, who retired in March 2025 as Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer at Union Pacific, has rejoined global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP in its Denver office as an Of Counsel attorney. The return marks his third stint with the firm; he is assigned to Greenberg Traurig’s Energy & Natural Resources and Rail & Transit practices.
A retired Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserves, Richardson oversaw all aspects of UP’s legal affairs, including federal and multi-state litigation; economic, environmental and safety regulation at all levels of government; labor relations; international trade; and passenger rail. In his capacity as Corporate Secretary, Richardson provided support for the Board of Directors. Prior to UP, Richardson spent nearly a decade as the general counsel of El Paso Corporation’s Pipeline Group, the largest network of interstate natural gas pipelines in North America at the time.
Before joining the military, Richardson pursued a career in national security after obtaining his graduate degree from Princeton University. He began government service as a Presidential Management Fellow, serving at the White House, the State Department, the Pentagon, and the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo. In more than 20 years as a Navy intelligence officer, he provided intelligence analysis and support in operations throughout the globe. On six occasions, he received active-duty orders to the White House National Security Council in connection with presidential initiatives related to Haiti, Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Iraq. After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Richardson was recalled to active duty in Operations Enduring Freedom and Noble Eagle, where he provided space-based intelligence analysis in direct support of combat operations in Southwest Asia. Along the way, he received his J.D. at Stanford Law School.
