Christopher W. Dysard
Partner

Christopher Dysard is an experienced civil and criminal litigator. Mr. Dysard's practice consists of representing individuals and institutions in white collar criminal proceedings and securities enforcement investigations, and representing institutions in complex commercial litigation.

Notable representations in criminal matters and investigations include:

• with partner David Spears, the representation of a former hedge fund analyst at an international bank in an insider trading prosecution by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York;

• the representation of a former employee of a ratings agency in investigations by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the New York Attorney General's Office;

• with partner Linda Imes, the representation of an employee of an information infrastructure solutions company in an insider trading investigation by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York;

• the representation of a sales representative of an international pharmaceuticals company in an internal investigation regarding sales practices;

• with partner David Spears, the representation of an attorney at an international bank in a cross-border tax investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission;

• with partner David Spears, the representation of a former director at a major accounting and consulting firm in a tax shelter investigation by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York; and

• with partner David Spears and counsel Justin Deabler, the representation of a former Merrill Lynch investment banker in a federal criminal conspiracy and wire fraud case brought by the Enron Task Force; the trial court's denial of defendant's motion for judgment of acquittal was reversed on appeal, United States v. Brown, 459 F.3d 509 (5th Cir. 2006).

Notable representations in civil matters include:

• with partners David Spears and Jason Mogel, the representation of a group of foreign and domestic financial institutions, including Allstate, Bank Leumi, Bayerische Landesbank, International Finance Corporation, Société Générale, and Travelers, in a six-week jury trial in the Southern District of New York against a major U.S. investment bank to recover large losses related to the sale of bonds backed by consumer installment loans of Heilig-Meyers; in December 2008, the jury returned a verdict for our clients, resulting in a judgment of $144 million; the defendant appealed that judgment, and Spears & Imes continued to represent our clients on appeal; on July 20, 2010, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the judgment, see 646 F. Supp. 2d 385 (S.D.N.Y. 2009), aff'd, 2010 WL 2836684 (2d Cir. July 20, 2010) (summary order);

• with partner Linda Imes, the representation of a group of hedge funds in a civil action in the Southern District of New York against several individuals and entities, alleging a fraudulent scheme in violation of federal securities laws and state law;

• with partner David Spears, the representation of Société Générale in a contract action in the Southern District of New York;

• with partner David Spears, the representation of a private equity fund sued in a contract action; defendant's pre-discovery motion to dismiss was granted, Resurgence Asset Mgmt., LLC v. Bastion Capital Fund, LP (Sup. Ct., Westchester County), aff'd, 760 N.Y.S. 2d 662 (2d Dep't 2003; and

• the representation of an international conglomerate and certain officers sued in multi-district class action litigation; defendants' pre-discovery motion to dismiss was granted. In re Tyco Int'l Ltd., 185 F. Supp. 2d 102 (D.N.H. 2002).

Mr. Dysard has an active pro bono practice. He acted as co-counsel in federal habeas corpus proceedings brought by two prisoners in military custody at the United States Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; both men have now been released to their respective countries of citizenship. He has also represented a prisoner in a criminal appeal before the Appellate Division, First Department; assisted in the drafting of an amicus brief in a disability rights case before the Second Circuit; and assisted in the drafting of an amicus brief in an adoption case before the Supreme Court of Missouri.

Mr. Dysard is an Adjunct Legal Writing Professor at Fordham University School of Law.

Education

• J.D., University of Virginia School of Law, 1998; Articles Editor, Virginia Law Review

• B.A., magna cum laude, Harvard University, 1995

Admissions

• New York

• Southern and Eastern Districts of New York

• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit

Clerkship

• The Honorable John D. Rainey, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, 1998-1999
  
  

Contact

tel  212-213-6833

fax 212-213-0849

cdysard@spearsimes.com

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