Overview
When employment issues, business practices, and criminal allegations intersect, attorney Chris Farella is most in his element. An accomplished litigator and strategist, he represents companies and executives in employment law, business litigation, white-collar criminal defense, and attorney ethics matters in state and federal courts throughout the country.
Clients ranging from pharmaceutical manufacturers, financial institutions, health care companies and executives to governmental departments, agencies, and officials count on Chris to defend them in all stages of criminal and civil investigation and litigation.
Chris regularly represents health care industry clients in internal investigations, grand jury probes and other criminal investigations, agency investigations, and civil False Claims Act litigation. He is adept at conducting internal investigations for public and private clients into claims of sexual harassment, violations of whistleblower laws, retaliation, and internal investigations for entities facing potential civil or criminal action by the government.
He also handles complex employment litigation involving claims of employment discrimination, harassment, restrictive covenants, commercial fraud, and conspiracy, among others. Focused on finding practical solutions that minimize disruption, Chris helps clients anticipate problems and avoid litigation when possible.
Clients rely on Chris’s guidance and best practices for collecting and preserving electronically stored information (ESI). His matters frequently involve a focus on forensic investigations of computer data. He offers creative solutions to resolve ESI protocol disputes with opposing counsel.
In addition, Chris serves as a General Counsel of Epstein Becker Green. He also is an author and lecturer on the subjects of harassment investigations, wrongful termination claims, commercial litigation issues, attorney ethics, and ethics relating to ESI. He is also a former Chair of the Supreme Court of New Jersey District Ethics Committee. Before joining Epstein Becker Green, Chris was an Assistant General Counsel at the North American headquarters of a global pharmaceutical company. After graduating from law school, Chris served as a clerk for the Honorable Louis F. Locascio of the Superior Court of New Jersey in Freehold.
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Focus Areas
Experience
Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.
- Obtained a rare order quashing an administrative subpoena issued by a U.S. Attorney’s Office against a health care company being investigated for alleged Medicare fraud. Chris and his team convinced the court that the government’s subpoena, which sought all e-documents of 50 custodians containing any one or more of 71 search terms, irrespective of whether the documents related to the subject matter of the investigation, was an overreach by the government.
- Represented an American hospital staffing firm in two nationwide government investigations regarding the firm’s merger and acquisition practices and emergency Medicare coding/billing.
- Helped lead an internal investigation into alleged accounting and corporate improprieties at a large financial institution under government investigation.
- Represented a charitable, not-for-profit health care provider in an investigation by a U.S. Attorney’s Office. The health care provider was in the process of merging with a large hospital network in the Northeast.
Recognition
- Listed in New Jersey Super Lawyers: Employment Litigation: Defense, Business Litigation, and Criminal Defense: White Collar (2007 to 2011, 2017 to 2020). This award is conferred by Thomson Reuters. A description of the selection methodology is available here. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.
Credentials
Education
- Seton Hall University School of Law (J.D., 1994)
- Rutgers University (B.A., 1991)
Bar Admissions
- New Jersey
- New York
- Pennsylvania
Court Admissions
- New Jersey State Courts
- New York State Courts
- Pennsylvania State Courts
- Supreme Court of the United States
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
- U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
Professional & Community Involvement
- New Jersey Bar Association, Federal Practice & Labor & Employment Committees
- Essex County Bar Association
Media
Events
Past Events
- November 15, 2022
Insights
Insights
- Media CoverageChris Farella Featured in “Conference Report: Law Firm General Counsel Share Nightmares”3 minute read
- Media CoverageChris Farella Quoted in “Conference Report: Law Firm GCs Share Their Most Anxiety-Ridden Scenarios”3 minute read
- Firm Announcements
Twelve Epstein Becker Green Attorneys Named to 2021 New Jersey Super Lawyers and Rising Stars Lists
4 minute read - Firm Announcements
Twelve Epstein Becker Green Attorneys Named to 2020 New Jersey Super Lawyers and Rising Stars Lists
4 minute read - Media Coverage
Chris Farella Featured in Law360's "GC Cheat Sheet: The Hottest Corporate News of the Week"
2 minute read - Media CoverageChris Farella Quoted in "Law Firm GCs Must Be Wary as Firms Vie for Cannabis Work"3 minute read
- BlogsDOJ Updates Criminal Division's 2017 Guidance Emphasizing Proactive Compliance8 minute read
- Firm Announcements
Fifteen Epstein Becker Green Attorneys in New Jersey Named to 2019 Super Lawyers and Rising Stars Lists
4 minute read - Media CoverageChris Farella Mentioned in "Attorneys: Companies Should Modify Their PTO Policies Because of Paid Sick-Leave Law" ...2 minute read
- Firm Announcements
Fifteen Epstein Becker Green Attorneys Named to 2018 New Jersey Super Lawyers and Rising Stars Lists
4 minute read - Firm Announcements
Fifteen Epstein Becker Green Attorneys Named to 2017 New Jersey Super Lawyers and Rising Stars Lists
4 minute read - PublicationsTechnology and Ethics: The Blinking Clock2 minute read
- Media CoverageEmployment Law This Week Recognized in “What’s Hot, What’s Not: National and Global Practice Trends 2016” ...1 minute read
- Publications
Protecting the Secret to Your Success, in IBN Magazine
1 minute read - Publications
Creating an Effective Employee Handbook, in IBN Magazine
1 minute read - Publications
Use of Probability Analysis to Define a Defendant's Intent Level in a Criminal Case, in St. John's University Review of ...
1 minute read