Christopher C. Caffarone

Chris has tried 11 federal jury trials, handled more than 25 appeals and argued 13 cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. He has conducted and supervised hundreds of investigations and prosecutions across the public and private sectors and is frequently called upon to advise boards and senior executives on sensitive matters requiring independence, discretion and strategic judgment. Before his legal career, Chris worked as an auditor at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he examined Fortune 500 companies’ financial statements and SEC filings and evaluated internal controls. He leverages this experience to analyze complex accounting issues, assess financial evidence and challenge expert analyses in investigations and litigation.

Prior to joining Pillsbury, Chris served for more than 15 years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of New York, where he investigated, prosecuted and supervised a wide range of criminal matters, including complex white collar cases.

He also spent five years in private practice at an AmLaw 100 firm, where he represented corporate clients in commercial disputes and complex federal and state litigation, with a focus on securities fraud matters.

• Successfully argued an appeal for a health care provider before the New York Appellate Division, First Department, affirming a trial court decision in the client’s favor.
• Represented a public company in a transfer pricing dispute with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in federal tax court, preparing for a bench trial before the matter settled.
• Conducted an arbitration arising from a post-closing purchase price dispute involving several Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) issues, resulting in a favorable outcome for the client.
• Defending a former Chief Financial Officer and members of a board of directors of a publicly traded company in a federal securities fraud class action in the Eastern District of New York.
• Defending two workers’ compensation law firms in separate federal civil actions brought under RICO and related claims in the Eastern District of New York.
• Defending a personal injury law firm in multiple federal civil actions brought under RICO and related claims in the Eastern District of New York.
• Representing a grocery company with pharmacies in seeking recovery of significant defense and settlement costs arising from opioid-related litigation brought by governmental entities, hospitals, third-party payors and individuals.
• Defending an individual and several foreign entities in federal court in litigation under the ATA and JASTA.
• Defending an individual charged in the Eastern District of New York in a federal criminal case involving allegations of rigged poker games, including allegations involving former NBA players.
• Represented an attorney in connection with an inquiry by the Department of Justice and the Internal Revenue Service.
• Represented a real estate developer in the New York Supreme Court, Commercial Division (New York County), in a dispute with a lender, successfully securing equitable relief.

Government Experience

• Convicted the CEO and COO of a publicly traded company following an eight-month jury trial involving a complex $200 million accounting fraud, securities fraud and insider trading (U.S. v. Brooks).
• Led the investigation and successful prosecution of seven defendants, including after a six-week jury trial, for their roles in a $400 million securities fraud (U.S. v. Ciccone).
• Tried the highest-ranking public official in Nassau County and his spouse for bribery and obstruction of justice (U.S. v. Mangano).
• Prosecuted members and associates of the Pagan’s Outlaw Motorcycle Gang for racketeering (RICO), attempted murder and weapons offenses (U.S. v. Ebeling).
• Conducted multiple racketeering (RICO) trials involving violent and organized criminal activity, including murder, sex trafficking, witness tampering, robbery and narcotics trafficking (U.S. v. Lewis, U.S. v. Davis, U.S. v. Osborne, and U.S. v. Smith).

• Led investigations and prosecutions involving significant financial crimes, including a $60 million Ponzi scheme (U.S. v. Barkany), a $100 million investment fraud (U.S. v. Callahan), and $30 million in tax evasion (U.S. v. Kornblatt).

• Prosecuted an investment advisor for securities fraud in connection with a multimillion-dollar investment scheme (U.S. v. Perera).
• Led the investigation and prosecution of 10 defendants, including an NYPD detective, responsible for more than 45 commercial and residential burglaries, stealing approximately $10 million in cash and property (U.S. v. Arias).
• As the Acting Chief of the Business and Securities Fraud Section, supervised more than a dozen attorneys responsible for prosecuting complex frauds, including the trial of senior executives of a hedge fund with more than $1 billion in assets under management involved in a scheme to defraud bondholders (U.S. v. Nordlicht).
• As Deputy Chief of the Long Island Criminal Division, supervised 17 prosecutors and oversaw an office serving a population of approximately 2.8 million people, coordinating with federal agencies and more than 30 local police departments.
• Supervised more than 100 cases, including a $700 million health care fraud case (U.S. v. James).
• Served as Co-Coordinator of the Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force, overseeing investigations and outreach initiatives focused on combating fraud targeting the elderly.

• Federal Prosecutor of Year Award, Federal Law Enforcement Foundation
• Outstanding Service Award, Detectives Crime Clinic of Metropolitan NJ and NY