EXPERIENCE

Chris has more than 25 years of regulatory and civil litigation experience representing leading financial institutions and a variety of other global companies in high-stakes matters. He has represented companies, financial institutions and their executives in investigations and related litigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), FINRA, Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS), Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), Federal Reserve Board, and a host of other state and federal regulatory authorities. Chris also has significant experience representing global financial institutions in connection with global sanctions and anti-money laundering investigations, as well as in connection with a variety of other issues, such as research and trading, mutual fund transactions and sale practices, tax matters, RMBS and CDOs. In addition, Chris has represented and counseled companies in connection with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and corruption-related investigations and proceedings before the SEC, the DOJ and the World Bank.

Consistent with his role as Co-Chair of the firm’s International Practice, Chris has extensive experience representing international clients in a wide range of matters. He has handled international arbitrations sited in Paris, London, Tokyo and New York and is an Honorary Member of COMBAR.

Chris also has a very active sports practice. He is FIFA’s regular outside counsel in the U.S., advising on a broad range of litigation, arbitration and corporate matters. He currently advises FIFA in its dealings with the U.S. Department of Justice, in litigation brought by Relevent Sports over an attempt to bring a LaLiga match to the U.S. and in a range of other matters. Chris was recently recognized by The American Lawyer’s “Litigation Daily” newsletter for his role in representing FIFA in its successful application for $201 million in restitution from the U.S. Department of Justice as compensation for losses the organization suffered as a victim of decades of corruption schemes by former soccer officials. He has advised MLS, football (soccer) agents and others connected with the sport—leading The Legal 500 to praise his “impressive understanding of all the legal issues as well as deep knowledge of the soccer world.”

Additionally, Chris serves as Co-Chair of the firm’s Insurance Practice and has years of experience representing leading insurance and reinsurance companies concerning coverage litigation, reinsurance disputes, litigation arising out of the events of 9/11, regulatory inquiries involving the DFS and other insurance regulators and government investigations. He is currently serving as national coordinating counsel for a leading insurance company—a role in which he oversees and handles the company’s response to COVID-19-related litigation—as well as in a similar global role for a leading international reinsurance company.

REPRESENTATIVE CLIENTS

Chris’s clients have included Agricultural Bank of China, Alcoa, Bank of China, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, Boeing, Brainlab AG, Canadian Natural Resources Ltd., Chubb, Citigroup, CNA, Commerzbank, Deutsche Bank, EchoStar, Fédération Internationale de Football Association, General Electric, Infront Sports & Media, ING, Jack Black, Lehman Brothers, MoMA, Nexen, Regeneron, Sharp, Softbank, Sumitomo Corporation, Standard Chartered, and Swiss Re—among others.  

AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS

Chris is recognized by Chambers USA as a highly regarded financial services regulation practitioner. Clients appreciate the broad scope of his experience, which ranges from complex litigation to insurance matters. Chambers has characterized him as “extremely bright, calm and very articulate—he always plans his strategies four moves in advance.”

Chris is also a key member of Paul, Weiss’s Sports Practice, which routinely garners the highest accolades, including its recent recognition as Law360’s 2022 “Practice Group of the Year,” as well as recognitions by The Legal 500 and Chambers USA, which has called the practice’s work “excellent.” Since 2019, The Legal 500 has listed Chris as a recommended lawyer in the Sports industry, describing him as a “superb lawyer.” Chambers USA has also recognized Chris in its Sports Law category since 2022, noting that he “has extensive experience [in] handling significant litigation and regulatory issues.” Chris was also recognized as a 2021 “Sports, Gaming & Entertainment Trailblazer” by The National Law Journal. The list recognizes sports and entertainment lawyers who have had the greatest impact in these industries.

Chris received the Law360 Distinguished Legal Writing Award at the 2019 Burton Awards. The Burton Awards, held in association with the Library of Congress and sponsored by Law360 and the American Bar Association, honor the finest accomplishments in law, including writing, legal reform, public service and public interest, regulatory innovations and lifetime achievements in the profession.

Chris was also recognized as a 2022 “Northeast Trailblazer” by The American Lawyer. The list recognizes lawyers who have had the greatest impact in various regions.

Additionally, Chris is consistently named a “Future Star” and a “Local Litigation Star” for Insurance and General Commercial Litigation by Benchmark Litigation. He was also recently named to Lawdragon’s 2024 "Top 500 Leading Litigators” list.

WRITING/SPEAKING

Chris is regarded as an expert on e-discovery issues and has spoken at numerous conferences and seminars on the topic. He has served as an adjunct professor at the University of Michigan Law School where he lectured on litigation strategy and e-discovery. He is a regular contributor to The New York Law Journal’s Technology column on the topic, and is an ongoing participant in The Sedona Conference Working Group Series.

Chris received both his M.S. in Public Policy Analysis in 1988 and his B.A. in Political Science in 1987 from the University of Rochester where he was a Rochester National Scholar. He received his J.D. in 1994 from Washington University School of Law where he was Editor-in-Chief of the Washington University Law Review and was elected to the Order of the Coif. He is currently a member of the University of Rochester Board of Trustees, chair of the Arts, Sciences & Engineering National Council of the University of Rochester, on the Board of Advisors for Washington University School of Law, and on the Dean’s Advisory Council for the University of Michigan Law School. Chris has received the University of Rochester’s John N. Wilder Award and Garnish Citation, and the Distinguished Young Alumni Award from Washington University School of Law.