US firm Holland & Hart has added a pair of environmental partners from Perkins Coie to open an office in Phoenix, Arizona.

Christopher Thomas and Andrea Driggs have joined the office from Perkins Coie, where Driggs was chair of the mining industry group and co-chair of the oil and gas industry group. 

Holland & Hart said it expected “several additional environmental lawyers” to join them in the coming weeks alongside existing partners who will relocate to the office, the firm’s 15th. 

Holland & Hart chair Chris Balch said opening in Phoenix had been a strategic target for the firm. 

“Finding the right team to bring on at the right time has been a long-term goal for us,” he said. “The Phoenix metro area is one of the fastest-growing major markets in the nation. Its robust business environment and strong economic indicators make now an ideal time to plant our flag here. We’re launching with a small core team and plan to build a substantial presence by investing in additional new talent across multiple practice areas throughout 2025 and beyond.”

The firm noted that the region’s demand for expertise in renewable and traditional extractive energy, environmental, technology, and real estate and construction sectors aligned with its existing strengths and was ripe for growth. 

“With experience in critical mineral mining, oil and gas and renewable energy, Chris Thomas and Andrea Driggs are the ideal fit to help us build out this new office and expand the firm’s services in high-performing practice areas in the region,” the firm said. 

An environmental litigator, Thomas practised for more than 30 years at Squire Patton Boggs before joining Perkins Coie in 2016. He guides industrial and municipal clients through federal and state environmental approvals, defends against enforcement actions and manages site remediation projects. 

“I’m impressed by the depth of expertise in Holland & Hart’s environmental and energy teams,” Thomas said. “We’re always bumping into each other on big infrastructure projects, and I look forward to using our combined experience to support our clients’ strategic business goals.” 

Meantime Driggs’s practice focuses on cross-jurisdictional environmental and natural resource issues, including intricate permitting and regulatory hurdles. Earlier in her career she practised at Skadden and has spent the past seven years at Perkins Coie, where she became a partner in 2023. 

Another law firm to expand into Phoenix recently was Womble Bond Dickinson, which announced a merger with Phoenix-founded Lewis Roca last year in a deal that will create a top 70 US firm by revenue.