Community Association Law Construction Law Real Estate Law
Christopher M. "Chris" Walters
Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2018 Awarded Practice Areas
Biography
A partner with Ball Janik LLP, Chris Walters has practiced at the firm for over 25 years. His areas of practice include real estate, construction, finance, sales and leasing, venture formation and representation, public contracting, and all aspects of project funding, development and management. He has assisted developers, investors, landlords, tenants, lenders, corporations, public agencies, contractors, design professionals, health organizations, resort and hospitality providers, and religious, nonprofit and community associations in a wide variety of matters. His representation of public agencies has included the State of Oregon, the City of Portland, the Portland Development Commission, the City of Vancouver, and several Oregon school districts. He has established and represented community associations in all aspects of their operation, governance, construction activities, and claims management. In recognition of his achievements, Mr. Walters has earned the AV® Preeminent™ Rating from Martindale-Hubbell®, American Registry. He is listed in The Best Lawyers in America for Construction Law.
While Mr. Walters has provided professional guidance on many high profile matters throughout the Pacific Northwest, much of his work supports clients with smaller, unique, and innovative projects. He has experience with a wide range of developments, including office towers, condominiums, subdivisions, hotels, retail centers, sports facilities, stadiums, mixed-use developments, energy projects, infrastructure projects, industrial, warehousing and high-technology facilities, hospitals, and schools.
Prior to joining Ball Janik in 1990, Mr. Walters practiced for four years with Pillsbury Winthrop, a large San Francisco law firm. During his career in Portland, he has served as the chair of the Oregon State Bar Real Estate and Land Use Executive Committee. He has co-authored the Commercial Association of Brokers® legal forms package and the lease package published by the Portland Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA), and has served as editor of the Oregon State Bar manual, Real Estate Disputes. Mr. Walters served on the panel that authored the State of Oregon’s model rules for alternative contracting methods. Mr. Walters is a frequent speaker on real estate and business law topics, and serves on BOMA's program committee.
A long-time resident of Portland, Mr. Walters enjoys spending time with his family and friends and participating in his children’s school functions.
Overview
- University of California Berkeley, J.D., graduated 1986
- Washington, 09/28/2010
- Oregon, 4/27/1990
- California, 12/11/1986
- Washington, 09/28/2010
- Oregon, 4/27/1990
- California, 12/11/1986
- University of California Berkeley, J.D., graduated 1986
Client Testimonials
Awards & Focus
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2026 for work in:
- Community Association Law
- Construction Law
- Real Estate Law
Special Focus:
- COVID-19
Awards:
- AV® Preeminent™ Rating Martindale-Hubbell®, American Registry
- Recognized as one of "Oregon's Top Rated Lawyers" in 2013 by The National Law Journal, The American Lawyer and Corporate Counsel magazine, published by ALM Legal Leaders, affiliated with Martindale-Hubbell®
News & Media
Case History
Cases
- Fujitsu Semiconductor America, Inc.
Christopher Walters assisted Fujitsu Semiconductor America, Inc. with the original design and construction of its wafer fabrication facility in Gresham, Oregon, then one of the most substantial construction projects ever undertaken in Oregon. Mr. Walters also assisted with the eventual sale of the plant to Microchip Technology Inc.
- South Beach Village – Wilde
The Land Use practice group represented Landwaves, Inc. and Double E. Northwest, Inc. in connection with a mixed-use development of several hundred acres of land in the Newport, Oregon area. Our client converted timberland into a vibrant village that includes a community college, commercial and high density residential uses at its core, surrounded by attainable workforce housing. The first step in the project was to amend Newport’s Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) so that some land was removed and our client’s land was included in the UGB. We then annexed a portion of the property, which involved resolving a dispute with the Oregon Department of Transportation that avoided a LUBA appeal by negotiating a trip metering system. We also had to amend several of the City’s code provisions so that the unique design and mix of uses would be permitted. To attain the vision of developing a sustainable community, the amendments addressed issues such as allowing mixed-uses, street standards, systems development charge credits and allowing food carts.
Our work on this project also involved:
Our work on this project also involved:
- Obtaining master planned entitlements for a sustainable mixed-use new urbanism community;
- Negotiating public-private development agreements and construction contracts related to significant infrastructure improvements;
- Drafting all organizational and compliance documents for the entire new community (including a master association and sub-associations);
- Single family and multi-family residential uses;
- Neighborhood commercial uses; and
- An industrial park.
- City of Vancouver – Vancouver Conference Center
The firm represented the City of Vancouver and its Downtown Redevelopment Authority in a new $73 million Conference Center and Hilton Hotel project.
- Seattle Seahawks Stadium
The firm represented the Washington State Public Stadium Authority in the $430 million financing, development, construction and leasing of Qwest Field and Event Center, a multipurpose public stadium and concert facility that is home to the Seattle Seahawks.
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