Christopher M. Farella

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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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.