J.D. from Columbia Law School

B.A. in Philosophy and History from Brown University

Law Clerk to the Honorable Helene N. White
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit

Law Clerk to the Honorable Joan M. Azrack
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, LLP

Member of the State Bar of New York

Admitted in the Southern District of New York, Eastern District of New York, and Sixth Circuit

Board Member, Community Impact at Columbia University

Former Member, Columbia Business Law Review

rice@braunhagey.com
(646) 503-6338
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Chris represented biopharmaceutical firm Xequel Bio., Inc. in a dispute with its former CEO concerning the CEO’s secret involvement with a competing biopharmaceutical start-up. After Chris secured broad forensic discovery on an expedited basis, he successfully moved for summary judgment on the core claims and secured partial summary judgment in Xequel’s favor. The case settled shortly thereafter pursuant to a confidential settlement agreement.

Xequel Bio, Inc. v. Regranion LLC

Chris represents the formers shareholders of 3D-printing start-up Origin Laboratories in an ongoing $400 million dispute with Stratasys, a publicly traded conglomerate that acquired Origin in 2020 but has refused to fairly compensate Origin’s former shareholders. Chris recently defeated Stratasys’s attempt to block the suit, securing an order from the Delaware Court of Chancery directing the full $400 million dispute to arbitration and requiring Stratasys to bear the shareholders’ fees and expenses.

Stratasys Ltd. v. Fortis Advisors, LLC

Opposing Counsel: McDermott Will & Emery; Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor, LLP; Meitar Law Firm (Israel)

Chris represents investment bank BTIG in an ongoing FINRA arbitration concerning competitor StoneX’s theft of BTIG’s software code, trade secrets, and other intellectual property worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Opposing Counsel: Debevoise & Plimpton LLP

Chris represented venture capital fund, Sweat Equity Partners, in a dispute with portfolio company Swoop Search concerning allegations of fraud, trade secret misappropriation, and violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. After Chris and his team defeated all of Swoop’s dispositive motions and secured a series of wins against Swoop, its principals, and its business partners, the parties reached a confidential settlement on the eve of trial.

Sweat Equity Partners, LLC v. Swoop Search, LLC

Chris represents venture capital fund IDEO CoLab in an ongoing cryptocurrency dispute with Swish Laboratories concerning Swish’s fraud in connection with the sale of RUNE tokens.

IDEO CoLab Ventures v. Swish Laboratories, Inc.

Chris represented Pepperidge Farm in litigation against an independent distributor concerning both the distributor’s pre-contract fraud on Pepperidge Farm and a contractual dispute. 

Vital Distributions, LLC v. Pepperidge Farm, Inc.

Chris represented a class of incarcerated people, securing an injunction preventing the Massachusetts Department of Correction from infringing on their constitutional right to communicate with counsel.

Green v. Massachusetts Department of Correction

Chris represented a client who had been wrongfully convicted in federal court, ultimately securing his client’s release more than 20 years early.

Cooper v. United States of America*

Chris represented a client who had been wrongfully convicted in New York state court, ultimately securing his client’s exoneration and release.

Fernandez v. Artuz*