UP taps Richardson as EVP, top legal officer, corporate secretary

Union Pacific Railroad yesterday named Craig Richardson executive vice president, chief legal officer and corporate secretary.

Richardson will oversee all aspects of the company's legal affairs, including commercial transactions and litigation, regulatory matters, labor and employment. Most recently, he served as VP of commercial and regulatory law. He's also held the position of associate general counsel.

"Craig has provided critical leadership, guiding us through sensitive and complex legal matters with insight, sound judgment and clarity," said Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Lance Fritz in a press release. "He is a superior partner and counselor and has the expertise we need during this time of unprecedented change within our nation and company."

Richardson's experience spans commercial and regulatory litigation, including oil and gas, environmental and antitrust law, as well as all aspects of multi-jurisdictional permitting of global energy infrastructure. For nearly a decade, he served as the chief legal officer of El Paso Corp.'s pipeline group, the largest network of interstate natural gas pipelines in North America.

Richardson succeeds Rhonda Ferguson, who left UP and now serves as EVP and general counsel at Allstate.