A partner in the Litigation Department, Chris Boehning serves as co-chair of the firm’s International Practice, Insurance Practice and Sports Practice, and as chair of the International Arbitration Practice. Noted by clients as a “truly outstanding” advocate, Chris has been characterized in Chambers as an “extremely bright, calm and very articulate” lawyer who “always plans his strategies four moves in advance.”
Chris has more than 30 years of experience representing clients in a wide variety of high-stakes complex commercial and civil litigation matters, insurance-related issues and litigation, criminal, civil and other regulatory inquiries, internal investigations, and international arbitrations sited in Paris, London, Tokyo and New York. Chris also maintains a very active sports practice, for which The Legal 500 has praised his “impressive understanding of all the legal issues as well as deep knowledge of the soccer world.”
Chris’s significant representations include:
- FIFA, as regular outside counsel in the U.S. for a broad range of litigation, arbitration, corporate, and regulatory matters, including:
- a host of matters related to the FIFA World Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup;
- its successful application for $201 million in remission 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, for which Chris was recognized in The American Lawyer’s “Litigation Daily” newsletter;
- the settlement of and dismissal from a litigation brought by Relevent Sports over an attempt to bring a LaLiga match to the U.S.;
- the dismissal with prejudice of a putative class action lawsuit challenging FIFA’s rules around concussions and other head injuries;
- CNA in multiple matters, including as national coordinating counsel handling the company’s response to COVID-19-related litigation, in which Paul, Weiss has to date secured victories in over 80 trial-level dispositive motions and in more than 20 federal and state appeals;
- Federal Insurance Company (a member of the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies) in multiple matters, including:
- the dismissal of a putative class action regarding the marketing of disability insurance policies;
- a $20 million arbitration award, confirmed by the Third Circuit, for a dispute with Interdigital Communications Corporation;
- the successful defense of multiple business interruption claims arising out of the September 11 terrorist attacks, including a summary judgment award affirmed by the Fifth Circuit;
- Hughes Communications India Private Limited (HCIPL, a subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation) in litigation against former parent DirectTV, including a successful appeal in which the Second Circuit held that DirecTV must indemnify HCIPL for damages arising out of certain contractually defined Indian taxes and proceedings;
- Deutsche Bank in multiple matters, including subprime inquiries and related litigation, and the dismissal, affirmed by the Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court, First Department, of a CDO-related litigation brought by Aozora Bank, Ltd.;
- Lehman Brothers in connection with research analyst and mutual fund inquiries and related litigation, as well as subprime inquiries and related litigation;
- Sumitomo Corporation in multiple matters, including the successful appeal of a copper trading litigation before the First Department, which dismissed Sumitomo;
- Two major oil and natural gas producers in a $46 million arbitration victory in London for a dispute against their reinsurer;
- A large chemical company in international arbitrations and breach of contract disputes, including over $30 million awarded in proceedings before the ICC International Court of Arbitration;
- A major Japanese corporation in international arbitration against a Chinese solar energy company;
- A major financial institution in a sanctions investigation by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) regarding business dealings related to a higher-risk foreign jurisdiction;
- A large, multinational bank in various matters, including the resolution of a major multi-regulator, sanctions-related enforcement matter; and
- Multiple major Chinese financial institutions in connection with various sanctions, Bank Secrecy Act and anti-money laundering (AML) matters.
Examples of additional notable representations include Agricultural Bank of China, Alcoa, Bank of China, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, Boeing, Brainlab AG, Canadian Natural Resources Ltd., Citigroup, Commerzbank, General Electric, Infront Sports & Media, ING, Jack Black, MoMA, Nexen, Regeneron, Sharp, Softbank, Standard Chartered, and Swiss Re.
Chris also maintains a robust pro bono practice, with a particular focus on gun violence prevention. A co-founder of the Firearms Accountability Counsel Task Force (FACT), Chris is actively involved in litigations addressing the gun violence epidemic, including:
- A landmark $73 million settlement for the Sandy Hook families in their wrongful death suit against Remington Arms—the first suit of its kind nationally to pierce the legal immunity of firearms manufacturers and hold them accountable for the harm caused by their products;
- A settlement against a Texas gun dealer on behalf of a woman whose husband was killed with a gun sold by the dealer, as a result of which the dealer agreed to implement written policies regarding firearm sale or pawn redemption procedures, as well as mandatory annual trainings for all employees who handle firearms; and
- Lawsuits in Illinois state court brought by survivors of the Highland Park mass shooting against Smith & Wesson, whose “clearly improper” attempt to remove the case to federal court was rejected by the district court and the Seventh Circuit, resulting in the district court recently ordering Smith & Wesson to pay the survivors’ attorneys’ fees.
Awards and Recognitions
A fellow of the American Bar Foundation, Chris has been recognized for his numerous legal achievements. Clients appreciate the broad scope of his experience, which ranges from complex litigation to insurance matters. Chambers USA recognizes Chris as a highly regarded financial services regulation practitioner with “impressive expertise in enforcements by SEC, CFTC, FINRA and the DOJ, backed by impressive experience as a litigator.” Chris is consistently named a “Local Litigation Star” (NY) and National Litigation Star (U.S.) by Benchmark Litigation for Insurance and General Commercial Litigation. He was recently named to Lawdragon’s 2025 “500 Leading Litigators in America” list, the second year in a row he has been featured, as well as its 2024 “500 Leading Global Litigators” list, in which he has been named since its inception in 2021. He is an honorary member of COMBAR.
Chris is a “driving force behind” Paul, Weiss’s Sports Practice, which routinely garners the highest accolades for its “excellent” work, including its recent recognition as Law360’s 2022, 2023, and 2024 “Practice Group of the Year,” as well as recognitions by The Legal 500 and Chambers USA. In 2025, he was named to Lawdragon’s inaugural “500 Leading Global Entertainment, Sports & Media Lawyers” list. He was also recently named in Lexology Index’s 2024 Sports & Gaming, which highlights individuals that are considered to be leaders in the field. 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 recognized Chris in its Sports Law category since 2022, noting his “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, which 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 has also been recognized for his dedication to gun violence prevention. He was named a 2022 “Northeast Trailblazer” by The American Lawyer in connection with the historic $73 million settlement on behalf of the Sandy Hook families against Remington Arms, for which he was also featured in the Reuters “Pro Bono Heroes” column. Chris and the firm have further been honored by the Brady Center with its Legal Advocate Award and the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence with its Richard W. Odgers Pro Bono Partner Award.
Writing/Speaking
Chris is widely regarded as an expert on e-discovery issues and has spoken at conferences and seminars on the topic for nearly three decades. 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 is also a frequent contributor to the International Comparative Legal Guides (ICLG), a series of reference publications for which he has authored multiple chapters in their International Arbitration and Insurance & Reinsurance guides.
Recognized as a “stand-out” sports lawyer, Chris is regularly invited to speak and lecture about sports law, including at the UK/U.S. Cross-Border Litigation Summit at the Honorable Society of Gray’s Inn, the FIFA Global Compliance Conference, and Columbia Law School.
A passionate advocate for gun violence prevention, Chris has given presentations and talks on the topic over the years, as well as written about the issue in national publications including The New York Times and Fortune.
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, on the Board of Advisors for Washington University School of Law, and on the Board of Trustees for the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. 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.
