Christopher M. Strongosky

Christopher M. Strongosky

Partner
About

Christopher Strongosky is a civil litigation trial lawyer. He represents a broad spectrum of industry-leading clients, concentrating on trial defense, litigation strategy and management of large scale business disputes. Christopher primarily represents global clients in the real estate, banking and pharmaceutical industries.

Admitted in multiple jurisdictions, Christopher's practice includes federal, state and international tribunals.

Bar admissionsCaliforniaNew JerseyNew York
CourtsUnited States District Court for the Southern District of New YorkUnited States District Court for the Eastern District of New YorkUnited States District Court for the Northern District of New YorkUnited States District Court for the District of New JerseyUnited States District Court for the Northern District of CaliforniaUnited States Court of Appeals for the First CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Second CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

EXPERIENCE

Examples of Christopher's recent work:

Real Estate and CMBS Litigation
  • Advised and represented national retailer companies in COVID-related lease disputes in New York and New Jersey
  • Represented international investors and bond issuers in joint venture, secured collateral dispute relating to US$3 billion mixed use residential and retail tower project in midtown Manhattan
  • Represented commercial mortgage lenders in multiple foreclosure actions in New York State courts, in contested and uncontested actions, providing pre-foreclosure and workout advice, through foreclosure sales and auction
  • Defended major national bank and special servicer defendant in lender liability claims arising from leasehold mortgage for US$27 million loan in Supreme Court, State of New York, New York County
  • First chair trial lawyer in 61 day trial of multi-plaintiff litigation against publicly traded real estate development company involving commercial lease, corporate governance and breach of fiduciary duty claims in Supreme Court, State of New York, resulting in complete defense verdict, upheld on appeal before the Appellate Division, First Department
  • Represented lender, special servicer plaintiff and special-purpose entity in foreclosure action on US$16 million loan in Supreme Court, Nassau County
  • Defended automobile franchise and manufacturer in adverse possession and trespass dispute relating to showroom property in Manhattan, in Supreme Court, New York County
  • Represented a real estate management company in commercial lease dispute and ejectment action, and in negotiation of lease amendments and enforcement of promissory notes
  • Represented a national real estate developer in a dispute over a failed joint venture
  • Defended a national real estate developer against broker commission claims in the Supreme Court, State of New York
Commercial and Products Litigation
  • First chaired jury trial defense of a leading D&O insurer against claims brought by director of publicly-traded technology company, resulting in complete defense verdict in US District Court for Eastern District of New York, and before US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit 
  • Represented multinational pharmaceutical company in MDL proceedings involving nationwide recall of over-the-counter medicines and dozens of retailer and distributor codefendants in the Southern District of Florida
  • Defended global pharmaceutical company in contract disputes arising from cross-border licensing agreement, in US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, resolved after Daubert and summary judgment rulings in favor of company
  • Represented multinational pharmaceutical company in talc-based mass tort litigation involving M&A and successor liability litigation
  • Represented multinational corporation in the defense of its health care subsidiary in a pharmaceutical products liability federal multidistrict litigation pending in the Northern District of Ohio, and in numerous related state proceedings. In these matters, Christopher was appointed by the federal court to serve as federal-state court liaison counsel and appointed by the New Jersey Superior Court to serve as defendants' liaison counsel
  • Defended multinational pharmaceutical company in mass tort litigation involving several thousand claimants in a federal multidistrict litigation in the Northern District of California, and coordinated litigation in the Supreme Court, State of New York
  • Defended a database information provider in a class action based on alleged wrongful disclosure of personal and financial information in violation of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and other federal privacy laws, in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida
  • Defended a national insurance provider in putative class action lawsuits regarding consumer cellular telephone insurance in multiple state and federal courts
  • Defended European pharmaceutical company in breach of commercialization and royalty payment obligations in ICC arbitration
  • Represented global pharmaceutical company in assertion and resolution of claims against contract research organization and clinical study vendors, resolved before arbitration
  • Defended global pharmaceutical company against contract and business tort claims arising from stock purchase agreements and license agreement, and subsequent abandonment of licensed technology, in Superior Court of California, Marin County
  • Defended global pharmaceutical company against contract and injunctive relief claims arising from failed business development negotiations, in Somerset County Superior Court, New Jersey
  • Defended D&O insurer against claims brought by a major investment bank arising out of improper mutual fund trading and subsequent SEC, NYSE and state regulators' investigations, and resulting settlements
  • Defended leading wireless communications company in commercial litigation concerning a failed joint venture in Russia and the former Soviet republics in the Supreme Court, State of New York
  • Defended Silicon Valley networking company in a misappropriation of trade secret and corporate acquisition dispute before the US District Court for the District of New Jersey
  • Represented officers and directors of a database information provider in an institutional investor breach of fiduciary duty lawsuit in Broward County, 17th Judicial Circuit Court, Florida
  • Represented a global insurer in a coverage dispute seeking commercial general liability insurance coverage related to national product recall in the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts, and before the US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
  • Defended an international insurance broker against breach of fiduciary duty and negligence claims related to property damage and coverage resulting from September 11 disaster in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York
  • Defended a fixed wireless provider in installation and breach of contract disputes before the US District Court, District of Minnesota
  • Represented a private equity investor in a dispute arising from the sale of a media and outdoor advertising business before the US District Court, Northern District of California
  • Defended a mutual fund in multiple 1940 Act litigations, pending in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York and Superior Court, New Jersey
     
Education
  • J.D., University of San Francisco 1998
    University of San Francisco Law Review
    cum laude
  • B.A., Political Science, Jacksonville University 1993

Awards

  • The Legal 500 United States
    • Recommended, Healthcare: Life Sciences (2022)

Pro Bono

Christopher dedicates significant pro bono time toward the effort to locate and return missing children pursuant to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. In 2012, Christopher was lead trial counsel on a Hague international child custody matter, prevailing at trial and on the appeal before the US Court of Appeals for Second Circuit. Christopher has tried numerous Hague Convention cases before federal judges in New York and New Jersey.

Bylines

  • "Pre-Service Removal Jurisdiction: Congressional Intent or Litigation Gamesmanship?" In-House Defense Quarterly (Winter 2015)
  • ''Letter Rogatory − Compass to Canadian Discovery,'' For The Defense (January 2016)

Clerk Experience

  • Extern Law Clerk, Honorable Melvin T. Brunetti, US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (1997)

Memberships And Affiliations

  • New York State Bar Association
  • New York City Bar Association
  • Clark County Bar Association
  • American Bar Association

Connect