Chris specializes in internal investigations, regulatory matters, enforcement actions, and crisis management.
Chris is a NY-registered lawyer trained in the United States. He is fluent in Japanese, and has extensive in-house experience at MUFG (Japan's largest bank) both in New York and Tokyo. Chris brings deep experience navigating internal investigations, regulatory inquiries, crisis management matters, and civil and criminal enforcement actions before a wide range of authorities in the U.S., Europe, Japan, and across Asia. He is also deeply experienced in financial crimes matters.
As a fluent Japanese speaker with extensive in-house experience, Chris is sensitive to the many unique client service needs and requirements that our clients have in handling their matters. He has extensive experience involving economic sanctions, anti-money laundering, anti-bribery and corruption, export violations, antitrust and competition law, markets conduct, and other regulatory areas.
Background
Chris earned a B.A. at Dartmouth College and a J.D. from Boston College Law School. Before attending law school he earned a Ph.D. in Japanese literature at Yale University, where he wrote his dissertation on the novels of Natsume Soseki. Chris is licensed to advise in Japan as a Registered Foreign Lawyer (Gaikokuho Jimu Bengoshi).
Experience & expertise
Selected matters
- Handled more than 15 cross-border regulatory investigations for major US corporations in relation to their business practices in Japan and other countries in Asia
- A major Japanese bank in connection with whistle blowing and retaliation claims
- A global bank in relation to multiple cross-border money-laundering and economic sanctions investigations*
- A global bank in relation to multiple cross-border investigations into securities trading and markets conduct*
*Experience gained prior to joining Herbert Smith Freehills
