Overview
A highly regarded problem-solver, Chris represents businesses and their executives across a broad spectrum of industries, focusing his practice on the defense of complex employment litigation, high-stakes commercial lawsuits and providing timely and thoughtful advice to his clients. Recognized by the Boston Business Journal as a “40 Under 40” honoree, as a “Top Lawyer Under 40” by the Hispanic National Bar Association, and by Super Lawyers every year since 2013, Chris represents a broad range of corporate clients in federal and state courts, arbitration, and before administrative agencies.
Chris regularly prosecutes and defends business disputes, including in the areas of business torts, breaches of contracts, trade secret litigation and restrictive covenant agreements.
Chris’s practice has an additional focus on employment and and labor matters, particularly in the defense of class and collective actions; wage and hour issues; matters involving race, sex, age, disability, and pregnancy discrimination; wrongful termination; ERISA; RICO; and various state law claims, including wage and discrimination claims under the Massachusetts General Laws.
Chris has represented and advised clients across the country, including in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas and Vermont.
One of Chris’s recent representations included a trademark infringement lawsuit against the former Cleveland Indians baseball franchise, for which Chris was frequently sought after by major sports media outlets for commentary.
Experience
- Kova Commercial of Naples, LLC v. Sabin, No. 2:23-CV-614-JES-KCD, 2023 WL 6458845 (M.D. Fla. Oct. 4, 2023) (successfully obtained preliminary injunction preventing former employee from soliciting or communicating with client’s current and prospective contacts in violation of federal Defense Trade Secrets Act and Florida Trade Secrets Act).
- Office Depot, Inc. v. Babb, No. 20-CV-80407, 2020 WL 1306984, at *1 (S.D. Fla. Mar. 19, 2020) (successfully obtaining preliminary injunction preventing former major accounts manager and her subsequent employer from violating the terms of her restrictive covenants agreement).
- Chavira v. OS Restaurant Services, LLC, No. 18-CV-10029-ADB, 2019 WL 4769101 (D. Mass. Sept. 30, 2019) (defeating conditional certification of proposed FLSA class of Outback Steakhouse front-of-the-house managers, premised on the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2017 decision in Bristol-Myers Squibb).
- Chavira v. OS Restaurant Services, LLC, No. 18-CV-10029-ADB, 2019 WL 917226, (D. Mass. Feb. 25, 2019) (prevailing on motion to dismiss Rule 23 class allegations premised on the Massachusetts Wage Act where the underlying wages due are entirely premised on the FLSA).
- Matthews v. Mount Auburn Hospital, No. 17-1961, 2018 WL 10072318 (Mass. Super. Mar. 12, 2018) (obtaining dismissal with prejudice of claims by former employee that the hospital breached a contract and wrongfully terminated him based upon his refusal to receive a flu vaccination).
- Costello v. Whole Foods Market Group, Inc., No. 16-10673-GAO, 2016 WL 4186927 (D. Mass. Aug. 8, 2016) (prevailing on fraudulent joinder argument and ultimately obtaining dismissal of the “entirely novel theory” brought under Massachusetts Minimum Fair Wage Law and Massachusetts Wage Act that an “oppressive and unreasonable wage” could be one exceeding the statutorily mandated minimum wage).
- Petersen v. U.S. Airways, Inc., No. SUCV201203737BLS1, 2013 WL 7196329 (Mass. Super. Nov. 19, 2013) (obtaining dismissal of Chapter 93A/consumer protection claims in airline mileage program/breach of contract matter).
- Depianti v. Jan-Pro Franchising Int’l, Inc., 39 F. Supp. 3d 112 (D. Mass. 2014), aff'd, 873 F.3d 21 (1st Cir. 2017) (following the determination of certified questions decided by the Massachusetts SJC, 465 Mass. 607 (2013), and receiving a favorable outcome in the Georgia Court of Appeals, obtaining a favorable ruling, inter alia, defeating the claim that franchisees were allegedly employees of the master franchisor).
- Jones v. Tucker Commc’ns, Inc., No. 5:11-CV-398 MTT, 2013 WL 6072966 (M.D. Ga. Nov. 18, 2013) (obtaining summary judgment ruling in favor of corporate client based on the FLSA’s Section 7(i) overtime exemption).
- Mitchell v. U.S. Airways, Inc., 858 F. Supp. 2d 137 (D. Mass. 2012), aff’d sub nom. Brown v. United Airlines, Inc., 720 F.3d 60 (1st Cir. 2013) (obtaining favorable decision for airline client holding that the Airline Deregulation Act preempted skycaps’ claims under the Massachusetts Wage Act and common law claims of tortious interference and unjust enrichment, and dismissal of certain individual plaintiffs’ FLSA claims).
- Bennefield v. Kohl’s Department Stores, Inc., No. CIV.A. 11-00647, 2012 WL 1560407 (Mass. Super. Feb. 17, 2012) (obtaining dismissal with prejudice of race-based hostile work environment claims on behalf of retail client.
Accolades
Honors & Recognitions
- Named Best Lawyer in Litigation–Labor and Employment, The Best Lawyers in America, 2023-2024
- Selected as a Massachusetts Super Lawyer for Employment Litigation Law, Boston Magazine, 2022-2023
- Recommended for Labor and Employment Disputes (Including Collective Actions): Defense, Legal 500 United States, 2020-2022
- Recognized as a Leader in Labor & Employment, Massachusetts, Chambers USA, 2022-2023
- Listed as a Labor and Employment Star, Benchmark Litigation, 2020-2022
- Honoree, 2020 Boston Business Journal’s 40 Under 40
- “Top Lawyer Under 40” by the Hispanic National Bar Association, 2019
- Selected as a Massachusetts Rising Star for Employment Litigation Law, Boston Magazine, 2013-2021
- Listed as Best for Class Action Litigation in Massachusetts, Corporate America Legal Elite, 2015
- Recipient of Avvo Clients’ Choice Award, 2014
Affiliations
Professional
- Member, American Bar Association
- Member, Massachusetts Bar Association
- Member, Florida Bar Association
- Co-chair, Labor and Employment Committee, Hispanic National Bar Association
- Member, Labor and Employment Steering Committee, Boston Bar Association
- Former Member, Human Resource Council and Government Affairs Committee, Massachusetts Food Association
- Former Chairman and Board Member, Boy Scouts of America Troops 16 and 127, Miami, FL
- Former Attorney ad Litem, Lawyers for Children America, Miami, FL
Insights
Legal Updates
Events & Speaking Engagements
Publications
Blog Posts
News
Education
JD, St. Thomas University School of Law, valedictorian, 2007
BA, Boston College, cum laude with honors, 2004
Admissions
Massachusetts
Florida
Connecticut
New York
Ohio
Maine
Courts
US Court of Appeals, First Circuit
US District Court, Middle District of Florida
US District Court, Northern District of Florida
US District Court, Southern District of Florida
US District Court, District of Massachusetts
US District Court, District of Connecticut
US District Court, Eastern District of New York
US District Court, Southern District of New York
Areas of Focus
- Commercial Litigation
- Labor and Employment
- Labor-Management Relations and Labor Litigation
- Wage and Hour Class Actions
- Complex Employment Litigation
- Health Care and Life Sciences
- Class Action, Multidistrict Litigation
- Trade Secrets Counseling and Litigation
- Unfair Competition and Employee Raiding
- ERISA Litigation
- Energy
- Financial Services
- Food Industry
- Hospitality
- Retail