Carlos Lewis McDade

Carlos L. McDade, Colonel, USAF (Retired) joined Black & LoBello after a successful twenty-two year career as a Judge Advocate in the United States Air Force.  Mr. McDade has over twelve years of experience in environmental and land use law.  He has provided counsel for compliance matters such as air quality, Title V, drinking water, wastewater and stormwater permitting; for solid and hazardous waste permitting, handling and reporting; for planning under NEPA, Endangered Species Act and Migratory Bird Act regulatory regimes and airport zoning, bird hazard, flight-path obstruction issues and noise complaints.  He has defended against regulatory violations and enforcement actions from state and local regulators and from four EPA Regional Offices in a dozen different states.

Mr. McDade earned his bachelor of arts degree in Political Science from Yale University, his Juris Doctor from the University of Colorado Law School and his L.L.M. in Environmental Law, with Highest Honors, from The George Washington University Law School.  He was admitted to practice law in the state of Colorado in November 1985, and the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces and Air Force courts in December 1986.  He has appeared before the Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Appeals Board and in administrative hearings in a dozen states and filed briefs with the United States Supreme Court.

As an Air Force JAG, Colonel McDade served as the Air Force Chief of Appellate Criminal Defense and the Air Force Regional Counsel, Eastern Region; as the Staff Judge Advocate at Nellis AFB, Nevada, and Schriever AFB, Colorado, and as Attorney Advisor and Investigator with the Department of Defense Inspector General’s Office.  During his time in the Air Force, he provided legal counsel for some of the Air Force’s most important installations, Nellis, Tinker and Yokota Air Force Bases, and for operational and deployed forces.  Mr. McDade was environmental counsel for a hundred million dollar environmental operation and contract and fiscal counsel on multi-million dollar global satellite operations and worldwide, deployable communications operations.  He has litigated at the trial level as both a prosecutor and defense counsel and in federal and state administrative venues.  He also has practiced at the appellate level as counsel for the Air Force in military criminal and civil matters.  Mr. McDade has lectured on criminal law, environmental law and ethics at both military and civilian seminars and CLE sessions.

Mr. McDade has been awarded with the Air Force Chief of Staff Team Award, 2008, for the Nellis Air Force Base Photovoltaic Array Generating Plant; the General Counsel of the Air Force Award, 2006 for enabling Predator operations and the Department of Defense Inspector General’s Award, 1995.  He was honored with the Legion of Merit Award, the Defense Meritorious Service Award, the Air Force Meritorious Service Award with multiple devices and the Air Force Humanitarian Services Award.  He was recognized for providing innovative counsel to Aviation Nation, the Nellis Air Force Base Air Show; as Outstanding Investigator, Department of Defense Inspector General, Senior Officials Investigations Division; Commander’s Appreciation for establishing the Tinker Air Force Base Airpower Park and Letter of Appreciation for Litigation, General Counsel of the Air Force.  He is also a member of the Leadership Las Vegas Class of 2008.  Mr. McDade was admitted to the State Bar of Nevada in January 2009.  As of 2009, Mr. McDade has been approved as a Licensed Foreclosure Mediator by the State of Nevada.