Christopher A. Ott

Chris Ott is a seasoned litigator, investigator, and Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP) who helps clients resolve disputes around complex technologies, with a particular focus on issues involving cybersecurity, privacy, blockchain, data governance and artificial intelligence. Chris plays a key role in the firm’s Data Governance litigation and investigations team.

A decorated former federal prosecutor, Chris has won more than 30 jury trials involving complicated innovation-related disputes and has been lead lawyer on hundreds more disputes, allowing him to bring a pragmatic, action-oriented perspective to every case.  

Although adept at litigation throughout the country, Chris’ central goal is to work with clients devise innovative and effective litigation strategies without losing sight of business realities. Chris regularly handles matters ranging from: data breach response for various industries; white collar defense of clients related to cryptocurrency matters; privacy and data security incidents involving ad technology; and internal investigations related to data leakage Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and privacy events. Currently, Chris is handling bet-the-company multi-district business litigation for a U.S.-licensed bank deeply involved with stablecoin technologies, multiple regulatory responses related to cryptocurrency technologies, intellectual property litigation for developers of Proof-of-Stake technologies, and multiple white collar defenses in cases involving complex financial technologies.

Before entering private practice, Chris spent more than 10 years at the Department of Justice in various supervisory roles, including as an Eastern District of New York (EDNY) Senior Trial Counsel focusing upon securities fraud and cybercrime, as a Supervisory Counterintelligence and Cyber Counsel in the National Security Division, and as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of California (SDCa).