Chris McGrath is the Chair of the Orange County Litigation Department at Paul Hastings and is based in the firm's Orange County and San Diego offices. His practice encompasses complex business litigation on behalf of public and private companies in state and federal courts. In particular, Mr. McGrath focuses his practice in securities litigation, class actions and complex corporate litigation, defending companies, pension funds, hedge funds, officers, directors, financial institutions and underwriters in shareholder class actions, merger litigation and derivative lawsuits and commercial disputes throughout the country. He has substantial experience in trade secret litigation as well as consumer privacy actions. He also counsels and represents companies, boards and individuals in connection with securities industry regulatory compliance issues and investigations. Mr. McGrath has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America® (2010-2021) (Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Mergers and Acquisitions, and Litigation - Securities), and by Super Lawyers (2007-2021).
Speaking Engagements and Publications
Mr. McGrath is a frequent panelist and author on litigation and corporate responsibility issues. Representative engagements and writings include:
- SEC Issues Updated Disclosure Guidance for Forward-Looking Projections in the Context of Business Combinations, Co-author, Lexology, December 18, 2017;
- Post-Closing Claims Alleging Uninformed and Coerced Stockholder Vote Survive Motion to Dismiss, Co-author, Lexology, April 6, 2017;
- Blowing the Whistle: Ninth Circuit Rejects Narrow Interpretation of Dodd-Frank's 'Whistleblower' Protections, Lexology , March 10, 2017;
- Is New York Now a More Favorable Disclosure-Only Settlement Jurisdiction? Time Will Tell, Co-author, Lexology, February 24, 2017;
- The ABC's of An SEC Investigation, Panelist, American Bar Association, Fidelity and Surety Law Committee, 2017 Midwest Meeting, Hotel Roosevelt, New Orleans, Louisiana, January 19, 2017;
- Practical Considerations for Defense Counsel Contemplating Joint Defense Arrangements, Co-author, Federal Bar Association/Orange County Chapter, Fall 2016;
- The Defend Trade Secrets Act: Will It Do More Harm Than Good?, Co-author, Orange County Business Journal, July 18, 2016;
- From Life-Saving to Lethal: Product Liability After a Cyberattack, Co-author, Orange County Business Journal, June 20-26, 2016;
- The Delaware Court of Chancery May Shake Up the "Sue-On-Every-Deal" Phenomenon, Co-author, Orange County Business Journal, November 9, 2015;
- Beyond Blocking Statutes: Revisiting Foreign Discovery Under the Hague Convention, Co-author, U.S. Law Week, February 3, 2015;
- Securities Fraud Actions Just Got Harder in Ninth Circuit, Co-author, Law360, December 23, 2014;
- Orange County Insider Trading Case Hastens SEC Retreat from Federal Court, Co-author, Orange County Business Journal, November 2014;
- Searching for An Efficient Market With Cross-Listed Securities: Denial of Class Certification In Deutsche Bank Illustrates Increased Scrutiny of the Fraud On The Market Doctrine, Co-author, Financial Law Fraud Report, November/December 2013;
- Delaware Courts Rein in Overzealous Shareholders, Co-author, The Daily Journal, November 11, 2013;
- Pharmaceuticals See Wave of Securities Fraud Litigation, Co-author, The Daily Journal, September 21, 2012;
- Pleading and Proving Loss Causation: Litigating Securities Fraud in a Post-Dura World, Co-author, Bloomberg Law Reports, November 1, 2010;
- Confidential Witness Deposition Permitted on Motion to Dismiss, Co-author, American Bar Association, Securities Litigation Journal, Summer 2010;
- How to Be In House, But Not in The Dog House: Surviving Stepped Up Scrutiny of Corporate Counsel (Securities), Presenter, Association of Corporate Counsel, San Diego, California, July 17, 2008;
- Restating Financials? Forfeiting Bonuses and Profits to the SEC Now a Real Threat, Co-author, Bloomberg Law Reports, January 14, 2008;
- Survival Skills for Litigating in Federal Court, Presenter, Federal Bar Association (San Diego Chapter), February 13, 2007;
- Biotech’s Onus of Disclosure, Co-author, The Daily Journal, December 12, 2006;
- FDA and SEC Issues in Representing Public Biotechnology Companies: An ACCA San Diego Roundtable Discussion, Presenter, Association of Corporate Counsel, San Diego, California, October 16, 2006;
- Key Principles of Corporate Governance and Internal Controls; Identifying and Preventing Fraud, Presenter, National Business Institute, Wyndham Emerald Plaza, San Diego, California, March 30, 2006;
- Latest Developments in U.S. Securities Class Actions and SEC Enforcement Priorities, Presenter and Author, 9th Annual D&O Liability Insurance Forum, Russell Hotel, London, United Kingdom, March 23-24, 2006;
- Dura Pharmaceuticals v. Broudo, The Supreme Court’s Decision, An Advocate’s Perspective, Presenter, Paul Hastings Interactive Teleconference, May 4, 2005.