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Chris has significant experience representing clients on a broad range of litigation and regulatory matters with particular emphasis on defending financial institutions. He focuses on high value and highly sensitive and complex commercial trials, arbitrations, appeals, pre-litigation disputes, and government investigations.

He is regularly recognized in leading industry publications such as Chambers USA (New York Litigation/General Commercial), Lawdragon (included in “The 500 Leading Lawyers in America”), Super Lawyers (New York), and The Legal 500, where a commentator called him “a star for international commercial litigation” and “a go-to address for such matters.”

Full Bio

Credentials

J.D., Columbia University School of Law

B.A., University of Virginia

New York

Supreme Court of the United States

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York

New York Regional Board of the College Foundation of the University of Virginia

Chambers USA, Litigation: General Commercial (New York)


2022-2024

Legal 500 U.S., Dispute Resolution: General Commercial Disputes


2022-2024

Legal 500 U.S., Dispute Resolution: Corporate Investigations & White-Collar Criminal Defense


2021–2023

Selected to the 500 Leading Lawyers in America


Lawdragon, 2022–2024

Selected to the 500 Leading Litigators in America


Lawdragon, 2023 and 2024

Selected to the New York Super Lawyers list


Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters), 2013–2024

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Recognition

Chambers USA, Litigation: General Commercial (New York)


2022-2024

Legal 500 U.S., Dispute Resolution: General Commercial Disputes


2022-2024

Legal 500 U.S., Dispute Resolution: Corporate Investigations & White-Collar Criminal Defense


2021–2023

Selected to the 500 Leading Lawyers in America


Lawdragon, 2022–2024

Selected to the 500 Leading Litigators in America


Lawdragon, 2023 and 2024

Selected to the New York Super Lawyers list


Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters), 2013–2024

Matters

Lead counsel in ongoing arbitration proceedings for a major financial institution seeking more than $400 million of damages against a contractual counterparty

Lead counsel for an investment firm in expedited multi-court litigation over the control of two publicly traded REITs; prevailed against a motion for preliminary injunction and successfully resolved all claims

Lead counsel for two hedge funds in an expedited nine-witness trial in Delaware Court of Chancery over a disputed multi-billion dollar stock authorization by a public company

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Matters

Lead counsel in ongoing arbitration proceedings for a major financial institution seeking more than $400 million of damages against a contractual counterparty

Lead counsel for an investment firm in expedited multi-court litigation over the control of two publicly traded REITs; prevailed against a motion for preliminary injunction and successfully resolved all claims

Lead counsel for two hedge funds in an expedited nine-witness trial in Delaware Court of Chancery over a disputed multi-billion dollar stock authorization by a public company

Lead counsel for an investment firm in proxy fight litigation over disputed board nominations; prevailed against multiple motions for injunctive relief and reached a successful settlement of all claims

Co-lead defense counsel for an international financial institution in a jury trial in New York state court; obtained a jury verdict eliminating all of the plaintiff’s claims for more than $100 million in damages and interest

Lead counsel for an investment bank in an expedited trial in the Delaware Court of Chancery, and a subsequent appeal to the Delaware Supreme Court, in a closely watched indemnification dispute; prevailed at trial and on appeal in Delaware, and subsequently prevailed in a related federal court lawsuit, and in multiple appeals to the Third Circuit

Lead counsel for a depositary institution in winning a ten-figure judgment in New York state court against a group of defaulted borrowers; obtained preliminary and permanent injunctions prohibiting the borrowers from transferring collateral intended to secure the disputed loans

Co-lead counsel for a private equity consortium in an expedited bench trial in Bankruptcy Court in the Southern District of Texas; obtained a full defense judgment dismissing all claims by equity holders seeking more than $700 million in damages from the private equity lender group

Lead counsel for an asset management firm in multi-forum litigation regarding five renewable energy projects

Amicus curiae counsel for the Society for Corporate Governance in multiple U.S. Supreme Court and Second Circuit appeals regarding high-profile securities law issues

Counsel for an investment bank in civil litigation brought by the New York Attorney General relating to the operation of the bank’s equity trading platform

Lead counsel for an investment bank and several of its former employees in litigation and arbitration involving equity swaps

Co-lead counsel for a seed investor in Delaware Court of Chancery trial against a hedge fund; obtained a post-trial judgment that the hedge fund breached its fiduciary and contractual duties to the seed investor

Counsel in federal court jury trial involving claims brought by a public company seeking control of a private investment firm’s board of directors and billions of dollars of its assets; obtained jury verdict dismissing all claims

Lead counsel for creditor in the Title III PROMESA restructuring of Puerto Rico’s Sales Tax Financing Corporation in pursuing and successfully settling claims arising from an ISDA-governed interest rate swap agreement

Lead counsel in multiple external investigations by the New York Attorney General, the SEC, FINRA, and other government agencies

Won a rare appellate reversal of a jury verdict in a multibillion dollar fraud trial arising from a public-to-private M&A deal

Won a full dismissal of claims brought by a former top cable television executive asserting an ownership interest in a major cable network

Won the dismissal of all damages claims in a fiduciary duty lawsuit brought by a court-appointed bankruptcy trustee against a private equity firm and several of its principals, arising from the bankruptcy of one of the firm’s portfolio companies

Matters

Lead counsel in ongoing arbitration proceedings for a major financial institution seeking more than $400 million of damages against a contractual counterparty

Lead counsel for an investment firm in expedited multi-court litigation over the control of two publicly traded REITs; prevailed against a motion for preliminary injunction and successfully resolved all claims

Lead counsel for two hedge funds in an expedited nine-witness trial in Delaware Court of Chancery over a disputed multi-billion dollar stock authorization by a public company

See more

Close

Matters

Lead counsel in ongoing arbitration proceedings for a major financial institution seeking more than $400 million of damages against a contractual counterparty

Lead counsel for an investment firm in expedited multi-court litigation over the control of two publicly traded REITs; prevailed against a motion for preliminary injunction and successfully resolved all claims

Lead counsel for two hedge funds in an expedited nine-witness trial in Delaware Court of Chancery over a disputed multi-billion dollar stock authorization by a public company

Lead counsel for an investment firm in proxy fight litigation over disputed board nominations; prevailed against multiple motions for injunctive relief and reached a successful settlement of all claims

Co-lead defense counsel for an international financial institution in a jury trial in New York state court; obtained a jury verdict eliminating all of the plaintiff’s claims for more than $100 million in damages and interest

Lead counsel for an investment bank in an expedited trial in the Delaware Court of Chancery, and a subsequent appeal to the Delaware Supreme Court, in a closely watched indemnification dispute; prevailed at trial and on appeal in Delaware, and subsequently prevailed in a related federal court lawsuit, and in multiple appeals to the Third Circuit

Lead counsel for a depositary institution in winning a ten-figure judgment in New York state court against a group of defaulted borrowers; obtained preliminary and permanent injunctions prohibiting the borrowers from transferring collateral intended to secure the disputed loans

Co-lead counsel for a private equity consortium in an expedited bench trial in Bankruptcy Court in the Southern District of Texas; obtained a full defense judgment dismissing all claims by equity holders seeking more than $700 million in damages from the private equity lender group

Lead counsel for an asset management firm in multi-forum litigation regarding five renewable energy projects

Amicus curiae counsel for the Society for Corporate Governance in multiple U.S. Supreme Court and Second Circuit appeals regarding high-profile securities law issues

Counsel for an investment bank in civil litigation brought by the New York Attorney General relating to the operation of the bank’s equity trading platform

Lead counsel for an investment bank and several of its former employees in litigation and arbitration involving equity swaps

Co-lead counsel for a seed investor in Delaware Court of Chancery trial against a hedge fund; obtained a post-trial judgment that the hedge fund breached its fiduciary and contractual duties to the seed investor

Counsel in federal court jury trial involving claims brought by a public company seeking control of a private investment firm’s board of directors and billions of dollars of its assets; obtained jury verdict dismissing all claims

Lead counsel for creditor in the Title III PROMESA restructuring of Puerto Rico’s Sales Tax Financing Corporation in pursuing and successfully settling claims arising from an ISDA-governed interest rate swap agreement

Lead counsel in multiple external investigations by the New York Attorney General, the SEC, FINRA, and other government agencies

Won a rare appellate reversal of a jury verdict in a multibillion dollar fraud trial arising from a public-to-private M&A deal

Won a full dismissal of claims brought by a former top cable television executive asserting an ownership interest in a major cable network

Won the dismissal of all damages claims in a fiduciary duty lawsuit brought by a court-appointed bankruptcy trustee against a private equity firm and several of its principals, arising from the bankruptcy of one of the firm’s portfolio companies

Credentials

J.D., Columbia University School of Law

B.A., University of Virginia

New York

Supreme Court of the United States

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York

New York Regional Board of the College Foundation of the University of Virginia

Chambers USA, Litigation: General Commercial (New York)


2022-2024

Legal 500 U.S., Dispute Resolution: General Commercial Disputes


2022-2024

Legal 500 U.S., Dispute Resolution: Corporate Investigations & White-Collar Criminal Defense


2021–2023

Selected to the 500 Leading Lawyers in America


Lawdragon, 2022–2024

Selected to the 500 Leading Litigators in America


Lawdragon, 2023 and 2024

Selected to the New York Super Lawyers list


Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters), 2013–2024

Close

Recognition

Chambers USA, Litigation: General Commercial (New York)


2022-2024

Legal 500 U.S., Dispute Resolution: General Commercial Disputes


2022-2024

Legal 500 U.S., Dispute Resolution: Corporate Investigations & White-Collar Criminal Defense


2021–2023

Selected to the 500 Leading Lawyers in America


Lawdragon, 2022–2024

Selected to the 500 Leading Litigators in America


Lawdragon, 2023 and 2024

Selected to the New York Super Lawyers list


Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters), 2013–2024