Chris Skey practices in DLA Piper's Litigation group, handling litigated matters pending in federal and state trial and appellate courts and administrative agencies.

Mr. Skey focuses his practice on a range of energy, environmental, natural resource, constitutional and commercial matters, including antitrust, securities, insurance, trade secrets, restrictive covenants, employment, fraud, product liability, copyright, construction, contracts and other business-related matters. His practice includes work on behalf of energy companies and cooperatives, lenders, accounting firms, financial services firms, pharmaceutical firms, food and beverage firms, engineering firms, industrial manufacturers, construction firms, real estate developers, marketing firms, insurance companies, large and small municipalities, small businesses, nonprofit organizations and individuals.

Mr. Skey serves on the board of directors of the Chicago Volunteer Legal Services Foundation, an organization that promotes, coordinates and supports pro bono representation of individual clients in and around Chicago by members of the legal community. Mr. Skey also serves on DLA Piper's US National Pro Bono Committee as well as the Chicago Office Pro Bono Committee. He is actively involved in a range of public interest and pro bono work and was recognized with DLA Piper’s 2008 National Pro Bono Senior Associate of the Year award. In 2007, he was chosen as the Chicago Office Pro Bono Senior Associate of the Year. Current and recent matters include federal court class action litigation on behalf of Children's Rights/Nebraska Appleseed Center for the Public Interest; appellate, trial and administrative work on behalf of The Newberry Library; federal court litigation on behalf of The Greater Chicago Food Depository; appellate amicus work on behalf of The Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence; representation of an individual tenant in a landlord/tenant dispute in connection with DLA Piper's ongoing work with the Asian Legal Services Clinic; and juvenile defense trial work and policy research on behalf of DLA Piper's pro bono signature project in juvenile justice. Mr. Skey was previously a member of the team engaged in an international global warming mitigation project through New Perimeter, DLA Piper’s nonprofit affiliate established to provide pro bono legal support for projects of global concern.

Mr. Skey serves as an instructor of the "Introduction to Legal Learning" course sponsored by the Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and offered to incoming law students at Northwestern University School of Law. He also serves as a volunteer teacher at the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center through the Lawyers in the Classroom program sponsored by the Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago. Mr. Skey participates as a writing coach in DLA Piper’s summer associate program.

Mr. Skey formerly served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Steven D. Merryday, US District Judge, Middle District of Florida. He is admitted to practice in both Illinois and Florida.

Recently reported cases include:

• United States v. All Meat and Poultry Products Stored at LaGrou Cold Storage, 407 F. Supp. 2d 823 (N.D. Ill. 2007)
• Schindler v. Cequent Consumer Products, Inc., 2006 WL 2062099 (E.D. Mo. 2006)
• Mercury Skyline Yacht Charters v. The Dave Matthews Band, Inc., 2005 WL 3159680 (N.D. Ill. 2005)
• Roadway Express v. Juedes, 2004 WL 2423811 (N.D. Ill. 2004)
• BDO Seidman, LLP v. Harris, 885 N.E.2d 470 (Ill. App. Ct. 2008)
• Strategic Energy, LLC v. Illinois Commerce Commission, 860 N.E.2d 361 (Ill. App. Ct. 2006)
• MidAmerican Energy Company v. Illinois Commerce Commission, 854 N.E.2d 238 (Ill. App. Ct. 2006)
• Illinois Commerce Commission v. Entergy-Koch Trading, LP, 841 N.E.2d 27 (Ill. App. Ct. 2005)
• Re Commonwealth Edison Company, 2008 WL 4489072 (Ill. Commerce Comm’n 2008)
• Re Interstate Power and Light Company, 2007 WL 4754232 (Ill. Commerce Comm. 2007)
• Re Interstate Power and Light Company, 2007 WL 1794929 (Ill. Commerce Comm. 2007)
• Re South Beloit Water, Gas and Electric Company, 2007 WL 1794930 (Ill. Commerce Comm. 2007)

Admissions

• Florida
• Illinois

Seminars

• Lead speaker, "Recent Regulatory Developments in the Illinois Energy Market and the Illinois Climate Change Advisory Group Report," Northern Illinois Energy Users meeting, Chicago (December 4, 2008)

Clerk Information

• Steven D. Merryday, US District Judge, Middle District of Florida; October 2000 to February 2003.