Christopher R. Grissom

Chris Grissom focuses on tax planning and controversy work, particularly state and local tax matters, incentives and federal and state tax disputes. He advises businesses on state tax and incentive issues, conducts multistate entity studies for planning purposes and regularly counsels many Fortune 500 companies. His work spans industries including pulp and paper, software technology, automotive, finance, telecommunications, textiles, solar and renewables, and renewable natural gas.

As chair of the Economic Development & Renewable Energy Practice Group, Chris helps business clients obtain, negotiate and document state and local tax and non-tax incentives tied to job creation and capital investment. He works with local industrial development agencies and state departments responsible for economic development, revenue, transportation and environmental matters. He also advises clients on maintaining incentives and meeting the state and local filing requirements needed to preserve them.

Chris has represented Brose Tuscaloosa, North American Lighting, Hyundai Heavy Industries, Rex Lumber and POSCO AAPC in connection with the location of their plants in Alabama. His work on Alabama projects has also included Pack Health and CAE, and he represents several automotive suppliers in the state on a variety of matters. Beyond Alabama, he has negotiated incentive packages for clients in Mississippi, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas and North Carolina.

Chris serves as vice-chair of the Business Council of Alabama’s Tax and Fiscal Policy Committee, where he has worked on state tax policy and legislative projects. He is an active member of the Economic Development Association of Alabama, has participated as a leading member of overseas industrial recruiting delegations and speaks frequently at COST, TEI and IPT events.

• Counsel to Gulf States Canners for a $40 million state-of-the-art production and distribution facility expansion for Coca-Cola sparkling and Dasani products, located in Clinton, Mississippi. Successfully assisted in negotiating the state and local tax and training incentives package. The project is expected to create approximately 20 competitive-wage jobs.
• Represented Coca-Coal Bottling Company United, Inc. in the construction of a new $330 million corporate and regional headquarters and state-of-the-art distribution facility in Birmingham, Alabama. The facility is expected to create up to 50 new jobs and retain the company’s existing 750 Birmingham-based associates. The investment in a new corporate headquarters, packaging and distribution equipment, and technology will ensure the facility will remain competitive and an industry leader for decades to come. Our team assisted with the negotiation of the city, state and county’s incentives package, as well as the construction contracts and environmental permitting and remediation plans. 
• Counsel to T. Marzetti for a multimillion-dollar cold storage food facility in Union City, Georgia, their first facility in Georgia, for the state and local tax incentives package. The facility is expected to bring 45 new jobs to the Union City area.
• Represented Warrior Met Coal on the development of a new “world class” mine located on the Blue Creek reserves in West Alabama. Successfully negotiated a tax abatement incentives package for the Brookwood-based company. Warrior Met anticipates an investment of approximately $550 million to $600 million over the next five years to develop the new mine, creating over 350 new jobs.
• Counsel to a national retailer on their $120 million construction of a new distribution facility in Arkansas. Assisted with the negotiation of the city, state and county’s bonds for title incentives package.

• University of Alabama School of Law, J.D., 1997, Federal Tax Clinic Scholarship
• University of Alabama, B.S., 1993, cum laude

• Alabama
• United States Tax Court
• United States District Court, Northern District of Alabama
• United States District Court, Middle District of Alabama

• Listed in The Best Lawyers in America^®
  • Litigation and Controversy – Tax, 2011-2027
  • Tax Law, 2009-2013, 2015-2027
  • Project Finance Law, 2023-2027
  • Municipal Law, 2023-2027
  • "Lawyer of the Year," Birmingham, Litigation and Controversy – Tax, 2018
  • "Lawyer of the Year," Birmingham, Project Finance Law, 2025
• Listed in Mid-South Super Lawyers, Tax, 2023-2025
• Listed in Alabama Super Lawyers, "Rising Stars," 2011

• Economic Development Partnership of Alabama, Strategic Partner
• Birmingham Business Alliance, Taxation and Finance Committee
• Paul J. Hartman/Vanderbilt University Law School, Advisory Board Member
• Economic Development Association of Alabama
• American Bar Association
• Alabama State Bar Association
• Business Council of Alabama, Vice Chair of Tax & Fiscal Policy Committee
• Independent SALT Alliance, Alabama Representative
• Council on State Taxation, Practitioner Member
• National Association of Property Tax Attorneys