Christopher J. Keller

Partner

Overview

Christopher J. Keller concentrates his practice in sophisticated complex securities litigation. His clients are institutional investors, including some of the worlds largest public and private pension funds with tens of billions of dollars under management.

Chris has been instrumental in the Firm’s appointments as lead counsel in some of the largest securities litigations to arise out of the financial crisis, such as actions against Morgan Stanley, Fannie Mae, Goldman Sachs, Countrywide ($624 million settlement) and Bear Stearns ($275 million settlement with Bear Stearns Companies, plus a $19.9 million settlement with Deloitte & Touche LLP, Bear Stearns' outside auditor; pending court approval).

Chris has also been integral in the ongoing prosecution of traditional fraud cases such as In re MF Global Securities Litigation; In re Schering-Plough Corporation / ENHANCE Securities Litigation; and In re Massey Energy Co. Securities Litigation; as well as In re Satyam Computer Services, Ltd. Securities Litigation, where the Firm obtained a settlement of more than $150 million. Chris was also a principal litigator on the trial team of In re Real Estate Associates Limited Partnership Litigation. The six-week jury trial resulted in a $184 million plaintiffs’ verdict, one of the largest jury verdicts since the passage of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act.

In addition to his active caseload, Chris holds a variety of leadership positions within the Firm, including serving on the Firm’s Executive Committee. In response to the evolving needs of our clients, Chris also established, and currently leads, the Case Evaluation Group, which is comprised of attorneys, in-house investigators, financial analysts and forensic accountants. The Group is responsible for evaluating clients’ financial losses and analyzing their potential legal claims both in and outside of the U.S. and track trends that are of potential concern to investors.

Educating institutional investors is a significant element of Chris’ advocacy efforts for shareholder rights. He is regularly called upon for presentations on developing trends in the law and new case theories at annual meetings and seminars for institutional investors. He is also a prolific writer and his articles include: “The Benefits of Investor Protection,” Law360, October 11, 2011; “SEC Contemplating Governance Reforms,” Executive Counsel, January 2011; "Is the Shield Beginning to Crack?," New York Law Journal, November 15, 2010; "Say What? Pay What? Real World Approaches to Executive Compensation Reform," Corporate Counsel, August 5, 2010; "Reining in the Credit Ratings Industry," New York Law Journal, January 11, 2010; "Japan's Past Recession Provides a Cautionary Tale," The National Law Journal, April 13, 2009; and "Balancing the Scales: The Use of Confidential Witnesses in Securities Class Actions," BNA's Securities Regulation & Law Report, January 19, 2009.

He is a member of several professional groups, including the New York State Bar Association and the New York County Lawyers’ Association.