Craig Burkhardt is an attorney and capital partner at Barnes & Thornburg LLP. He has focused on the representation of clients before the Executive and Legislative agencies of the United States and Illinois State governments for 37 years. His clients have spanned from individuals, statewide and national business and industrial associations, businesses from technology start-ups, Fortune 500 corporations, to ambassadors, legislative leaders and chief executives of foreign nations. He also practices election law, and has twice served as president of the Republican National Lawyers Association, and as chief counsel for the Republican leader of the Illinois House of Representatives and general counsel of the Illinois Republican Party. He regularly provides legal and political advice to federal and state Republican candidates and organizations.
His legal career started in 1984 in Springfield, Illinois, where he practiced for 20 years. Following terrorist attacks on the United States, Craig was appointed by the White House to serve as Chief Counsel for Technology at the U.S. Department of Commerce, leading the legal staff responsible for providing advice to federal technology-related agencies. In that role, he supervised the legal team investigating the New York World Trade Center building and fire safety disaster, for which he was presented a federal gold medal for distinguished scientific and engineering achievement. He also headed the department’s Office of the Chief Counsel for Industry and Security, leading the legal staff responsible for preventing export of dangerous commercial goods to unauthorized entities and providing export administration and enforcement advice to the Bureau of Industry and Security. In 2006, Craig resumed private legal practice at his firm’s Washington, DC office. He concentrates on representing companies and foreign countries in their interactions with the United States Government.
Craig has been a leader at the local and national levels of the Boy Scouts of America for 35 years. His leadership activities have included service as District Chair, Council President, Area President, Region Vice President (Membership), National Venturing Vice-Chair, National BSA Foundation Trustee, National Second Century Society Co-Chair, and Member of the National Advisory Council. A favorite service was as founding Council President of the Chicago-headquartered Pathway to Adventure Council, which combined four predecessor councils. This included the council of his youth, where he earned Arrow of Light, Eagle Scout and Quartermaster Sea Scout and was a Vigil Honor member of the Order of the Arrow. He is Scoutmaster of Scouts BSA Troop 248 for Girls in the District of Columbia, which he founded with Barbara, his wife of 35 years, and First Class Scout Gloria Burkhardt.
Congratulations to Craig and his fellow 2021 NOESA Honorees! Eagle alums, let’s stay connected. Join NESA DC today! www.ncacbsa.org/national-eagle-scout-association/
