Christopher M. Clough
Top rated Eminent Domain attorney in Austin, Texas
Barron, Adler, Clough & Oddo, PLLC
Practice areas: Eminent Domain
Licensed in Texas since: 2004
Education: The University of Texas School of Law
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2021 - 2025 Call today:
844-890-1925
Free Consultation Barron, Adler, Clough & Oddo, PLLC
808 Nueces StAustin, TX 78701 Visit website
Christopher M. Clough joined Barron, Adler, Clough & Oddo, PLLC in 2008 and has been a Managing Partner since 2014. Previously, Mr. Clough spent four years with the Transportation Division of the Attorney General’s office, representing the State of Texas predominantly in eminent domain matters. He focuses on major road projects throughout the state and other major land use cases including such recent cases as AM Peeler Ranch, LLC v. San Miguel Electric Cooperative, Inc., and City of Austin v. Lonestar Airport Holdings, LLC (the taking of the South Terminal at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport).
Mr. Clough serves as condemnation counsel in Texas for numerous institutional clients and nationally traded companies including McDonald’s, H.E.B., Weingarten Realty, Simon Property Group, and Life Storage. He has tried a variety of condemnation cases to jury verdict, handled hundreds of special commissioners’ hearings, and has multiple published appellate court decisions.
Mr. Clough graduated with a B.A. from Columbia University in 1999 and earned a J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law in 2003.
He serves as a member of the Texas Bar Association and is admitted to practice in the Western District of Texas.
Mr. Clough has been recognized as one of the top eminent domain lawyers by Texas Super Lawyers since 2021 and was admitted to the Counselors of Real Estate (CRE) in 2019. He is a past member of the Lloyd Lochridge American Inn of Court and Robert Calvert Inn of Court, local associations for legal professionals in the Austin area. He frequently contributes to ALI and ABA eminent domain publications as well as the International Right of Way Association. He has served as Program Co-Chair for the Annual Eminent Domain Superconference in Texas for the past 10 years.
Practice areas
Eminent Domain- 100% Eminent Domain
First Admitted: 2004, Texas
Professional Webpage: https://www.barronadler.com/attorneys/christopher-clough/
Bar / Professional Activity
- State Bar of Texas, 2004
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas
Pro bono / Community Service
- Texas Bar Foundation
- Covenant Presbyterian Church, Austin
Honors
- https://www.bestlawyers.com/lawyers/christopher-m-clough/171004, Best Lawyers in America, Best Lawyers, 2026
- https://www.bestlawyers.com/lawyers/christopher-m-clough/171004, Best Lawyers in America, Best Lawyers, 2025
- https://profiles.superlawyers.com/texas/austin/lawyer/christopher-m-clough/45249929-64aa-41f5-beef-6f384ae721df.html, Super Lawyer, Texas Super Lawyers, 2025
- https://profiles.superlawyers.com/texas/austin/lawyer/christopher-m-clough/45249929-64aa-41f5-beef-6f384ae721df.html, Super Lawyer, Texas Super Lawyers, 2024
- https://profiles.superlawyers.com/texas/austin/lawyer/christopher-m-clough/45249929-64aa-41f5-beef-6f384ae721df.html, Super Lawyer, Texas Super Lawyers, 2023
- https://profiles.superlawyers.com/texas/austin/lawyer/christopher-m-clough/45249929-64aa-41f5-beef-6f384ae721df.html, Super Lawyer, Texas Super Lawyers, 2022
- https://profiles.superlawyers.com/texas/austin/lawyer/christopher-m-clough/45249929-64aa-41f5-beef-6f384ae721df.html, Super Lawyer, Texas Super Lawyers, 2021
Educational Background
- J.D., The University of Texas at Austin School of Law
- B.A., Columbia University
Scholarly Lectures / Writings
- Presenter, The Art of the Chart: How to Use Comparative Appraisal Analysis to Make Your Point, Eminent Domain and Land Valuation Litigation Conference, ALI CLE (San Diego, February 2025), Presenter, The Art of the Chart: How to Use Comparative Appraisal Analysis to Make Your Point, Eminent Domain and Land Valuation Litigation Conference, ALI CLE, 2025
- Spoke about the Austin airport's private terminal taking and discussed Texas condemnation procedure, Speaker, Chris Clough on a Taking at the Austin Airport, The Eminent Domain Podcast, 2023
- Spoke at ALI continued learning course in Scottsdale, Co-Speaker, The Most Ridiculous Court Rulings: How To Avoid Them Happening to You, ALI Eminent Domain and Land Valuation Litigation CLE, 2022
- Speaker, Speaker, Peeling Back the Layers of Right to Take – Is Reclamation a Public Use?, Texas Eminent Domain Superconference, 2022
- Presented, Presenter, Eminent Domain Update and Strategies, 44th Annual State Bar of Texas Advanced Real Estate Law Course, 2022
- Spoke to a variety of attorneys in other practice areas about current trends in eminent domain law, Speaker, Eminent Domain/Condemnation: Hot Topics and Issues for Non-ED Practitioners, 44th Annual State Bar of Texas Advanced Real Estate Law Conference, 2022
- Presented, Presenter, The Art of the Chart: How to Use Comparative Appraisal Analysis to Make Your Point, Condemnation 101, American Law Institute, Eminent Domain and Land Valuation Litigation, 2019
- Presented, Presenter, Living with Lenders: Their Opportunity to Participate and Owner’s Counsel’s Right to a Fee, American Law Institute, Eminent Domain and Land Valuation Litigation, 2018
- Presenter, Presenter, Putting the Everglades Case to the Test: Principles of Highest and Best Use, Project Influence, and the Sales Comparison Approach in the Louisiana Salt Dome Litigation, American Bar Association, Real Property, 2018
- Presented, Presenter, The Municipalization of Utilities: The Story of Tyler, Blue Mound and Rising Utility Bills, American Bar Association, 2016
- Presented to the American Bar Association's Real Property Lunch Series, Speaker, Condemnation Issues In Leasing: Who Gets What and How to Get What Your Client Wants, American Bar Association, Real Property, 2015
- Panelist, Panelist, Appraising in a Post SB 18 Word: When is Direct Access Materially Impaired?, IRWA Bluebonnet Chapter 74, 2013
- Lecturer, Lecturer, Case Law Update, Review and Analysis of Eminent Domain Cases from 2012, 12th Annual Eminent Domain Super Conference, 2013
- Lecturer, Lecturer, Case Law Update, New Developments and Pending Cases 2012-2013, 4th Annual Eminent Domain Conference, 2013
- Lecturer, Lecturer, Senate Bill 18 and Other Hot Topics in Condemnation Law, IRWA North Texas Chapter 36, 2012
- Lecturer, Lecturer and Program Co-Chair, Case Law Update, Emerging Issues and Trends, 11th Annual Eminent Domain Super Conference, 2012
- Discussed changes to eminent domain law in 2011, Lecturer, Legislative Update, SB 18 – Changes to Eminent Domain Laws and the State of Access Law Under the New Statutory Regime, 2nd Annual Eminent Domain Conference, 2011
- Lecturer on changes to eminent domain law in 2011, Lecturer and Program Co-Chair, SB 18 – Changes to Eminent Domain Laws and the State of Access Law Under the New Statutory Regime, 10th Annual Eminent Domain Super Conference, 2011
- Co-chaired the 9th Annual Eminent Domain Super Conference in Austin, Program Co-Chair, Case Law Update, Emerging Issues and Trends, 9th Annual Eminent Domain Super Conference, 2010
- Lecturer and program co-chair, Lecturer and Program Co-Chair, Eminent Domain, Case Law Update, Emerging Issues and Trends; The Highest and Best Use of Your Time and Money, 8th Annual Eminent Domain Super Conference, 2009
Other Outstanding Achievements
- Counselors of Real Estate
- Commercial Development
- Energy
- Real Estate
- Residential Development
- Transportation
- Utilities
These comments were made by fellow attorneys during the annual nomination process.
“Chris is one of the best condemnation lawyers in Texas. He knows the condemnation law backwards and forwards.”
“Chris does an outstanding job as a condemnation lawyer representing landowners. I've been adverse to him on many occasions and see that his work is always of high quality. He also speaks regularly at the eminent domain CLE's.”
“Chris and his partners are top of the game in eminent domain cases.”
“Chris Clough is a tough and brilliant condemnation attorney. I have personally worked with him for the better part of a decade and he is simply second to none in his ability to analyze and litigate his client's condemnation case. In my experience, there are few eminent domain attorneys that possess the analytical and trial abilities that Chris possesses. Chris successfully represents commercial land owners all across the state including fortune 50 and 100 companies in addition to individual landowners. I am proud to call him my partner and believe he is certainly deserving of Super Lawyer status.”
“The firm hired Chris 8 years ago from the Attorney General's Office where he was in the Eminent Domain Division. We were up against him in many TxDot condemnation cases. He impressed us with his abilities and knowledge of the law. Since then, Chris has proved his worth many times over having won and settled cases for landowners in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. He is now managing partner of Barron Adler”
“Chris works for one the most well regarded condemnation firms in Texas. I have worked with he and his partners and associates on a number of matters and would refer any important condemnation matters to them.”
“Chris is a super eminent domain lawyer. He is very smart and he has great judgment. Chris knows the area of the law extremely well. He also is a good guy.”
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2021 - 2025
